I always thought of Beef Stroganoff as a very kitschy dish…something probably popular back in the 1950s and 60s. I usually imagine people back in those times unwrapping the foil back from their frozen tv beef stroganoff meals in front of a bulky wood veneered black and white television set.
Was I wrong!? Yes. Beef Stroganoff is way older than I thought. In fact, the first recipe for Beef Stroganoff was written in Russia back in 1861. Onions and mushrooms were not added in that original recipe…which is too bad. I love onions and mushrooms!
Through the years, it’s been modified to what it is today. Some people might have fond memories of the dish, others may think of frozen food or hamburger helper type of beef stroganoff dishes.
It’s okay though, I have a recipe that will make you fall in love beef stroganoff all over again. I took this recipe from another blog (http://www.elise.com/recipes/). This is a great blog, by the way…I love the photos and the recipes always turn out great.
The only thing I did not add from the original ingredient list was the nutmeg, mostly because I’m not a fan…but if you don’t mind it, you can add 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg while cooking.
The ingredients I added are as follows:
6 Tbsp butter
1 pound of top sirloin or tenderloin, cut thin into 1-inch wide by 2 1/2-inch long strips
1/3 cup chopped shallots (can substitute onions)
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon of dry tarragon or 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh tarragon
1 cup of sour cream at room temperature (You can substitute the sour cream with yogurt as well.)
The dish is surprisingly easy to make and goes as follows:
Add 3 tablespoons in a pan and brown the steak. Add salt and pepper to taste. After the steak has been browned, take the steak out of the pan and put it aside.
Cook the shallots in the same pan with 3 more tablespoons of butter. Add the mushrooms, the tarragon (and nutmeg). Stir occasionally for about 4 minutes.
Add the sour cream (or yogurt) after putting the heat to low. Make sure to stir it well and make sure (THIS IS IMPORTANT) not to let it simmer or boil as it will begin to curdle…which is gross, right? Depending on the thickness of the sour cream or yogurt you use, you might want to add some water to thin the mixture down if it needs it.
Finally, stir in the beef and serve over egg noodles.
Enjoy!
Filed under: beef, Cooking, Dinner, Food, mushrooms, Recipes, sour cream, steak, strogonoff
You Manage to make that beef stuff pretty good! I hope that you like our stuff on the wurst show. Any recipes are appreciated! Thx
Yon
http://TheWurstShow.info
Just before serving I through the mushrooms on a dry pan and high heat – let them fry for about 10 minutes you MUST stir them… First they will give away some juice and then the juice will cook into the mushrooms again.
The smell is heavenly and then you add themon top of your Beuf Stroganoff …
Love your blog
Wow~ you sure can cook…
If it’s ok, I’d hope to eat your dish someday.
[...] The Gastronomist’s Take On Beef Stroganoff Proves The Most Important Cooking Principle September 22nd, 2007 That is, that you absolutely positively cannot go wrong with six tablespoons of butter. [...]
Is this your own photo? Just curious, well done.
Pj
Yum! I’m not a meat eater, but this recipe could so easily be made vegetarian, I’ll have to make it. What a tasty, hearty meal for a fall day. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks for the comments, suggestions and compliments!
Yes, all of the photos in my blog are my “results.”
Figswithbri: If you make it vegetarian, I’d love to know how it comes out and what your recipe is.
Ja … cool … beef stroganoff is a fantastic meal … esp. in colder months. But I generally eat it with a rice and wild rice combination al-la http://eurocookingwithgas.com/beef-stroganoff