Let us begin by saying that this creamy dish of meat, mushrooms, and onions have been made accessible here. There are several versions of beef stroganoff – some recipes suggest using cream of mushroom soup, others recommend sprinkling the meat with some flour for better browning. Then some chefs add mustard or condiments like Worcestershire sauce to their dish for adding yet another flavour. We do not claim our version to be authentic. Like any preparation, the focus should be on creating a meal as delicious as possible, rather than striving for authenticity.
Cutting the meat into thick juliennes ensures that it cooks in minutes. And even though we are using a 10.5 oz can of beef broth here, you can use less if you are really in a hurry. (So that it thickens more quickly.) We also recommend using canned mushroom slices for a shorter cooking time
Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 750 gm Sirloin steak or chuck roast, cut into thick strips The idea is that the meat should sear, brown and cook almost as soon as it hits the pan
- 225 gm Fresh mushrooms, sliced Use 6 oz can sliced mushrooms to make your work even more comfortable
- 1 10.5 oz can beef broth
- 1/2 Cup Sour cream
- 2 Nnions peeled, halved and cut into slightly thick half moons
- 1/2 Cup Dry red wine
- 1 Tbsp Oil
- 3 Tbsp Butter
- Take salt and freshly ground black pepper, according to taste
Instructions
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Take the beef strips in a large bowl. Pour in the oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix, preferably with your hands so that the meat is evenly coated in fat and the seasoning uniformly distributed. Keep aside.
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Put butter in a large frying pan and place on low heat. (Never heat the pan before adding the butter, or it would instantly burn.) Once melted and foaming, add the onions and mushrooms. It’s important that the onions are not very finely sliced since we want them to retain some of their crunches by the end of cooking. The mushrooms would release plenty of moisture. Cook on low heat till it’s completely evaporated.
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Now, pour in the red wine. Like any wine cooking, it needs to be reduced for the dish to benefit from its flavour. Once the wine dries, remove the contents of the pan onto a plate.
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Return the pan to heat and put in the marinated meat. Now increase the heat to high for a minute or so. The pores of the meat would get sealed, and the juices would be retained inside. (If the meat is added on low heat, it will start leaving its moisture and become dry.) Keep stirring for this one minute, then reduce the heat to medium.
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Pour in the broth and let it come to a boil. Then the right idea is to reduce the flame to low, cover and cook.
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Once the broth has reduced by two-thirds, toss in the sautéed onions, mushrooms and any juices collected on the plate. Increase heat to medium. The broth should get reduced to a thick glaze, coating everything beautifully
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Stir in the sour cream finally. Mix well, letting the cream warm through. Don’t allow it to boil though. Check for seasoning. The beef was marinated with salt & pepper, and the broth had to season too. Add more salt and pepper, as per your taste. Serve over pasta or rice.
