Beef Strogonoff

One of the first things my husband asked me after we got married is, "Do you know how to make beef strogonoff? I LOVE beef strogonoff!"  Believe it or not, I wasn't that familiar with it and had only eaten it 2-3 times in my lifetime. So of course, I was now set on a mission to make this unfamiliar dish.  I've tried many recipes but this recipe is the one that always makes my dear husband happy.  What makes this recipe unique is that I use green onions, spicy brown mustard and white wine. This is always a hit every time I make it for dinner gatherings and it will be a hit in your house also!

Let's get started...

The line up showing up for role call

The key is to look for fat that has a marble effect throughout the meat. This will ensure tenderness!

I'm using boneless beef short ribs here.

Trying to protect my newly painted nails...

Pour Worcestershire sauce over the meat. 

Is it just me or is saying "Worcestershire" correctly almost impossible?

Chop the garlic and green onions and...

Place the chopped green onions and garlic in the saute pan. I used olive oil this time but you can use butter. It will give the strogonoff a really nice flavor...of course...butter makes everything better.

Add the meat with the marinade juices and all. You will notice some lovely juice emitting as you saute.

Add the flour in 1 tablespoon increments. 

Stir, stir, stir...

I added 3/4 tsp beef broth base + 1 1/2 Cups water. 

If you have 1 1/2 beef broth (canned or otherwise) you could use that too.

There will be flour lumps. Flour lumps drive me crazy. Don't worry, get your whisk out and vigorously whisk. The lumps will not completely dissolve yet but they will dissolve during the final simmer.

OK...I cheated...I had these mushrooms sauteed from the day before. These were sauteed in butter + olive oil, salt and pepper and 2-3 tbsp of red wine. If you like mushrooms, add to the strogonoff, juices and all.

Adding the mushrooms...

Add 1 tbsp (heaping) Spicy Brown Mustard. You may need 1/2 tbsp more.

Adding the white wine. In this batch, I ended up using 1/4 Cup. Let simmer for 20 min or so until your beef is tender. A tender cut of beef will not need that long. A tougher cut of beef will need longer.

Add Sour Cream when you are ready to serve

Done!

Serve with egg noodles or rice.

Bon Appetit!

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Beef Strogonoff

2 pounds of your favorite cut of beef (rib-eye or boneless beef short ribs work very well)
1-2 tsp salt (add more if you feel needed)
1 tsp ground black pepper (add more if you like)
4 ounces butter (or olive oil for less fat/calories)
6 green onions, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic (chopped)
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C beef broth OR ¾ tsp beef base + 1 ½ C Water
1-1 1/2 tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard
6 oz or so sliced mushrooms (optional)
1/4 cup full-fat sour cream (heaping)
1/4 - 1/3 C White wine

1/4 C Worcestershire sauce (use more or less, up to you)

Remove any fat and gristle from the roast and cut into strips 1/2 inch thick by 2 inches long.  Marinate overnight if possible in Worcestershire sauce, or at least for 1-2 hours for best flavor.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter (or use olive oil) and season the beef with 1 teaspoon of both salt and pepper. Sauté the onions and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, then push to the side and add the beef strips. Sauté beef strips until almost cooked (it will finish cooking in the sauce).

Stir the flour into the juices on the empty side of the pan. Slowly pour in beef broth, whisk and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Stir in mustard, mushrooms (if using, see note below) and white wine. Cover and simmer for 10-20 minutes or until meat is tender. If you are using a really tender cut of beef, you probably will not even need 20 minutes.  As for the flour lumps, don’t worry…they will dissolve during this stretch of simmering.  Five minutes before serving, stir in the sour cream. Add more salt or pepper if you like.

By the way - using a low fat or fat-free sour cream will make your sauce curdle a little. Dairy that isn't high enough in fat will curdle when hit with an acid (in this case the wine and mustard).  Even though your intention may be good, it will be a disaster to the sauce. Walk an extra lap around the block, shopping mall or your field of choice and this should burn off the calories...right?

*If you want to add mushrooms...

Chop the mushrooms to your size preference and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  In a separate skillet, melt a couple of tablespoons of butter and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and sauté mushrooms until tender. Add about 2 tbsp of red wine for more depth of flavor.  When done, add the mushrooms and its juices into the beef mixture as directed above.

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