Easy Beef Stroganoff
I love this recipe. If all Russian cuisine were this good, there'd be a borsch stand on every corner in New York City. There are many variations of Beef Stroganoff but essentially it consists of strips or cubes of beef in a brown sauce, served over noodles or white rice.
Use a beefy cut of steak, like chuck roast, for the most flavor. Most recipes use mustard and sour cream although some add paprika, others garlic, and some dices dill pickle. We added parsley and thyme. This is comfort food at its finest.
This takes a little bit of time, about an hour or so, but not much prep work (chopping, etc.). As Alton Brown likes to say, "Your patience will be rewarded." Make enough for leftovers, it stores well in the fridge and it reheats well in the microwave. It may even be better the next day.
Easy Beef Stroganoff (printable recipe)
Ingredients:
- 1 pound steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1/2 pound of button or crimini mushrooms
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon for dried
- 3 tablespoons finely minced parsley
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1/2 pound of egg noodles
Heat the olive oil in a deep-sided sauté pan on medium-high heat and add the beef. Season the meat with a sprinkle of salt and several turns of freshly ground black pepper. Sear the meat on all sides turning the pieces as they brown. Remove the seared meat, set aside in a bowl, and add the onions to the pan.
Add another pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the wine and de-glaze the pan, scraping all the tasty bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Allow to reduce almost completely.
Add the beef broth, the meat, and any accumulated juices from the bowl in with the onions. Bring to a boil then lower heat and allow to simmer.
In another pan over medium heat, add a tablespoon of butter, the thyme, the mushrooms, and another couple grinds of pepper. Allow the mushrooms to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Once the meat is tender and the sauce is reduced, drop the noodles into boiling water to be cooked.
Fold in the mushrooms, mustard, parsley, and sour cream in with the meat and sauce. Incorporate the egg noodles in with the sauce and serve in a bowl.
Garnish with a sprinkle more of parsley and a dollop of sour cream. I like to add some more raw onions and a squirt of lemon juice, and although my toppings are a little unorthodox, it's delicious.