Retired Techie

Getting older, not necessarily wiser!

Beef Stroganoff

Published on April 17, 2023 at 4:41 pm by LEW

Introduction

First time in the kitchen in awhile, to cook that is. I finally gave in to requests to cook Beef Stronganoff, a favorite of my kids when they were younger.

Developed in the mid 1800’s, this Russian dish consists of beef cut into cubes or strips, and a mustard and sour cream sauce (there is some argument around if tomatoes were used originally or not), generally served over pasta (usually egg noodles). Part of the unique flavor of this recipe comes from dredging and browning the beef. Instead of serving over pasta, this recipe calls for cooking the pasta in the sauce itself, to impart an additional layer of both texture and flavor.

Below is my personal take on the dish. And like many popular recipes, there are many variations out there.

Ingredients

• 1 lb beef
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 small onion
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 Tsp mustard powder
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 lb egg noodles
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 Tsp salt (to taste)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper (to taste)
• Water as needed

Equipment

• Small Mixing Bowl (2 to 3 qt)
• Medium Cooking Spoon
• Medium Spatula
• Large Skillet
• Cutting Board
• Medium Chefs Knife

Instructions

1. Cut beef into either 1/2″ cubes or strips (the widest side should be 1/2″ or less and cut across the grain). Dice the mushrooms. Mince onion.
2. Add flour, salt, and black pepper to the bowl. Dredge the beef until all pieces are lightly coated.
3. In a skillet over medium heat melt 1 Tbsp of butter. Add beef and brown on all sides.
4. Add remaining butter, onions and mushrooms. Stir occasionally, until mushrooms are tender. Scrape bottom of skillet as it cooks.
5. Add beef broth, mustard powder, and tomato paste. Stir until well mixed. Continue to scrape bottom of skillet.
6. Set heat to high. Add egg noodles and enough water to cover them. bring to boil, then reduce heat. Simmer until noodles are soft.
7. Turn heat to low. Add in any remaining flour mix. Slowly add sour cream stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Remove form heat and allow to cool.

Notes

• You can replace the tomato paste with about 1/2 cup of tomato sauce. Doing this will make the dish slightly sweeter.
• Feel free to add more mustard powder a pinch at a time in addition to salt and pepper, to adjust the flavor.
• I have on occasion used thinly sliced potatoes instead of egg noodles, which gives a somewhat different texture and flavor.

Copyright © 2021-2024 Retired Techie All rights reserved.