Beef Stroganoff

I have been making Beef Stroganoff since soon after I got my own apartment after college.  It has never been made exactly the same, nor tasted exactly the same, and to me that's a good thing.  It has always been my "go to" meal to make and serve to good friends, in fact Dr. Jim has been reminding me for 40 years how he remembers the first time I served it to him when we were young guys living in Chicago.
This recipe does not require the most tender cuts of beef, but I suggest treating this as a “steak meal” and using a lean, tender cut of aged beef.

Ingredients (for each two servings):

·   8 – 10 ounces of beef, as described above, cut into ¾” cubes or 1” x 2” strips

·   Olive oil – 4 tbs

·   Whole onion – cut in quarters then into ½” strips

·   8 - 10 fresh mushrooms, quartered

·   1 tbs fresh ground coarse black pepper

·   Finely minced garlic – 2 tbs

·   1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

·   ¼ cup red wine

·   ¼ cup brown gravy (homemade or pre-made bottled)

·   ¼ cup sour cream

·   Homemade thick egg noodles (or white rice if you prefer)

Brown the beef, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in olive oil.  When the pink is gone add onions then about two minutes later add mushrooms, bringing both to a rich brownness but leaving a firm texture for the veggies.  Simmer uncovered over low heat for 5 minutes, adding red wine during the process.

Prepare noodles or rice while the mixture is simmering.

Just before the noodles or rice are ready, stir in the sour cream (this is a very important component of traditional Beef Stroganoff) and let simmer over low heat for 5 additional minutes.

Depending on how you prefer to serve, spoon the Stroganoff mixture over the noodles (or rice) and sprinkle with fresh parsley and a dusting of paparika, or mix all ingredients together and allow your guests to serve family style.

Total prep time can be as little as 30 minutes, although I prefer to simmer the Stroganoff mixture (before adding sour cream) for about 30-45 minutes to develop character to the flavor bringing the total prep time to about an hour.

If you drink wine Stroganoff is best served with a hearty red wine, like a burgundy.

 

Thought for the day:

 

“It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.”

― Gabriel Garcí­a Marquez

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