They say it’s risky to feed an international guest food from their home country, but I like to live dangerously, so I do it whenever I can. On this occasion I had a Russian friend coming over to help me with some computer issues I was having, and I decided Beef Stroganoff would be appropriate reward for his labours.
Stroganoff is another of those meals that might sound a bit daunting to prepare at home but, continuing with my preferred theme, it is very, very easy, and very delicious, though not one for those of you counting calories.
Wikipedia reports that the first known recipe for a Beef Stroganov was recorded in Elena Molokhovets’s 1871 Russian cookbook, A Gift to Young Housewives! Her recipe apparently didn’t include onions or mushrooms which are now considered the norm in a classic Stroganoff.
There are dozens of Stroganoff recipes you can find online but they are all variations on the standard mix of strips of steak, mushrooms and sour cream. I keep it simple in my version of it, a gift for all you young housepersons!
This recipe will feed two people very well, scale it up or down as you see fit.
Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 250 g ish of sirloin steak or whatever cut you prefer
- 250 g ish of mushrooms of your choice sliced
- 1 large onion sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- A good knob of butter
- Some plain flour
- 100 ml ish Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche
- A tablespoon of Dijon or wholegrain mustard
- Salt and pepper
- 300 ml of beef stock made with a cube
- A tablespoon vegetable oil
- Some chopped parsley to garnish
- Carbs of your choice. I went with simple mashed potatoes
Instructions
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Cut the steak into thin strips and dredge them in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Heat up a good sized frying pan or large saucepan and quickly flash fry the steak in the oil to brown the strips all over, remove the steak from the pan and set aside. Lower the heat then gently fry the onions for a few minutes before adding the minced garlic. Next in go the butter and mushrooms. The butter soaks into the mushrooms and adds an extra layer of luxury but, if you want to lower the calorie count slightly, just use more oil, if needed.
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When the mushrooms have softened add a little of the beef stock and deglaze the pan, or scrape all the lovely bits stuck to the bottom if you prefer. Add the remaining stock and return the steak pieces to the pan. Stir in the sour cream and mustard. Let it simmer for 5 or ten minutes and check the seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if you think it’s needed.
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Serve it up with carbs of your choice, mashed potatoes are good for me but rice, pasta, skinny fries or whatever you like will work just as well. Garnish with parsley for colour and flavour and enjoy.
Your guests and your stomach will thank you.