09 March 2023

Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff - A Comfort Food Classic / www.delightfulrepast.com


Beef Stroganoff is one of those classic dishes that seems to go in and out of fashion. It is said to have been invented in 1891 by French chef Charles Briere while in the employ of a Russian household. 

The first recipe for Beef Stroganoff in an English language cookbook was in 1932. It became very popular in the US after World War II, then again in the 1960s and at other points over the years. And it appears to be having a moment now, at least at my house. 

Various cuts of beef can be used for the dish to suit different budgets and schedules—meaning the less expensive cuts require longer cooking. I didn't have time for extended cooking to tenderize a cheaper cut, and since I was only making it for two, I used a boneless beef ribeye steak. If you really want to push the boat out, tenderloin or filet mignon is a good choice.

I decided years ago to cook the steak whole and then slice it—rather than the usual slice-and-then-cook method—for two reasons: 1. It's too easy to overcook those slices, and 2. searing the whole steak develops better browning for great fond and flavor without the risk of overcooking and toughening that expensive beef. If you're using a tougher cut that requires long cooking, slice the steak before browning. 

When was the last time you made Beef Stroganoff? As with other dishes I love, I tend to forget about it for a while and then make it frequently for a time, then it seems to "fall out of rotation" until it occurs to me again. I'm making it again this week!


Beef Stroganoff - A Comfort Food Classic / www.delightfulrepast.com

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 Beef Stroganoff


(Serves 2 or 3)

1 12- to 16-ounce (340 to 454 grams) boneless beef ribeye steak, trimmed of excess fat
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided (including noodle cooking water)
3/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided
1/4 cup diced or sliced yellow onion
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 of 12-ounce package (4 ounces/113 grams) wide egg noodles
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) brandy
1 cup (8 fluid ounces/237 ml) lower sodium beef broth
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 Add 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil to thoroughly preheated skillet, continue heating until oil shimmers, and cook the patted dry, salted (1/8 teaspoon) and peppered (1/4 teaspoon) steak to medium rare; it will cook further after being sliced and added to the sauce. Remove to cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. 

2 In 2- to 3-quart saucepan, start boiling 1 quart of water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

3 Drain off most of the fat from pan, and add onion, cooking for about 5 minutes. Add butter, mushrooms, 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and the Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, slice the rested steak about 1/8 inch thick across the grain; set aside. And stir the noodles into the rapidly boiling salted water; cook for length of time specified on the package.

4 Sprinkle the flour over the onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Stir in the brandy and beef broth and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until thickening. Stir in the tomato paste and mustard.

5 Just before serving, stir in the sour cream, then the sliced steak. Cook over low heat just long enough to get heated through and steak to be to your preferred doneness; do not overcook and toughen the meat. Taste and adjust seasoning.

6 You can either add the cooked and drained noodles to the stroganoff or add the teaspoon of butter to the drained noodles and serve the stroganoff over a bed of buttered noodles. Garnish with minced fresh flat-leaf parsley.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

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38 comments:

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

Bingo! Knew sooner or later that your far-ranging culinary skills would cover something I can actually prepare without poisoning dinner guests. Course, my stroganoff lacks noodles (I use rice). All the other chefs on the playground laugh at me, but – hah! – they eat their laughter when they eat my stroganoff. It’s pretty close to addictive, if I do say so. Totally unimpressive recipe essentials: Campbells’ mushroom soup, sour cream, onions, mushrooms, dash of soy sauce, and a mighty fine cut of steak (usually sirloin) lightly sea-salted and cut up to be seared before adding the rest according to texture and color. I do think that it’s the watchful eye and feel for prepping that makes the difference. I make large batches and love it hot or cold as a leftover. Kind of like wasabi, clearing the palate with a nibble of a sweet gherkin every few forkfuls is a delightful tang to go with the savory flavor.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Sully. You mention a very important point: "I do think that it’s the watchful eye and feel for prepping that makes the difference." So true. No recipe, no matter how detailed, can tell you everything you need to know. Only one's senses, all five of them, can be relied on to know precisely how long an ingredient needs to cook or how much of something needs to be used. I have yet to try cold leftover stroganoff, so I'll make a point to do that with the next batch!

Mrs. White said...

I have made a version of this many times for my family. They always loved it. Yours looks delicious!

Jeanie said...

I haven't had stroganoff for along time and this looks delicious. It's a wonderful cold-weather dish.

ellen b. said...

Our family loves beef stroganoff. Yours looks delicious.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Mrs White, thank you!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Jeanie. Yes, if this cold weather continues, we'll need more comfort food meals!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Ellen. I appreciate that.

Angie's Recipes said...

Such a great classic! Yours turned out really beautiful and moreish, Jean.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, Angie.

TONY said...

This sounds brilliant. I notice you use Worcester Sauce but Dijon Mustard.Not English mustard? I know its a Russian dish which has become somewhat multinational in its reach but all the same. ha! ha!

Anyway I often cook a simple beef stew which is similar in many of your ingredients but with a few variants. I don't use sour cream or creme fraise in a beef stew but I do pour in a bottle of Guiness.

Marilyn has made beef stroganoff now I just too. Another great one Jean.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Tony. Nope, no English mustard in this; a stroganoff is not the place for it. I do love a good beef stew with a bottle of Guinness in it—I've even posted it here. Isn't Worcestershire sauce a wonderful thing?!

Donna said...

Thank you for visiting my cooking blog, Is She Cooking, or Not?
You have SO many wonderful recipes...I'll be following you, for sure!
Enjoy your day!
hugs
Donna

thepaintedapron.com said...

Such a classic dish, I haven't had it for years, and your photo has my mouth watering!
Jenna

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Donna, thank you so much! I was so happy to discover your delicious blog yesterday!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Jenna! Maybe now's the time to make it again!

Phil in the Kitchen said...

Sounds just right for this time of year. Stroganoff is always welcome in my house, although I admit that I haven't made it in quite a while. It was one of the dishes that everybody seemed to try to make back in 1970s London. Although, to be honest, stroganoff was the posh dish and a slower-cooked goulash was the more everyday dish. We wouldn't have made it through to the 1980s without them.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks for sharing your stroganoff history with me, Phil! I like learning such things and am more interested in what foods were popular in London than in New York or Los Angeles or in between.

chickenruby said...

One of my favourite meals.
Thanks for linking with #pocolo

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Suzanne!

Heather Noire said...

This was great insight to such a classic dish. I think it looks so delicious especially for a warm and cozy night in. Thank you for the recipe and I plan to make it for dinner this weekend. I hope you're having the best weekend.
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Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Heather. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Cocoa and Lavender said...

Love your method for cooking the whole steak and then slicing it. I haven't had Stroganoff in years, but now crave it!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, David. Nobody else seems to do it that way, but it makes perfect sense to me!

Donna Reidland said...

This is one of my favorites!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Donna. Mine, too! I don't think I'll let it fall by the wayside again.

Rajani Rehana said...

Beautiful blog

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Rajani.

Heather Noire said...

This looks so delicious and gives me a good reason to try it out for the weekend. I just hope my version is just as good as the one you shared here. I loved this so much especially since it is easy to follow. Have an amazing weekend. https://www.bauchlefashion.com/2023/03/spring-into-fashion-5-fashion-trends-to.html

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, Heather. Glad you find it easy to follow; that's my goal when writing a recipe!

Stephanie 139a said...

You're right it does seem to come into and go out of fashion - and I've no idea why! Thanks for sharing with #PoCoLo

Gerlinde de Broekert said...

I love Beef Stroganoff, your recipe looks great.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Stephanie. It might be because people dine out more frequently now and restaurants are always trying to be trendy. Then someone has a classic dish for the first time in ages and thinks, "Hmm, guess dishes become classics because they're really good!"

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Gerlinde, thank you so much.

Pauline Wiles said...

Goodness, this is one of my favorite dishes but I haven't eaten it (never mind made it) in absolutely ages. Thank you for the reminder, Jean!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Pauline. I know what you mean, but I guess there are soooo many wonderful foods to eat, it takes a while for its time to come around again!

Claire Justine said...

This looks so tasty :)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Claire!