Beef Stroganoff

This dish has been around for a long time but only became popular in the 1950’s in North America. As you can well imagine, there are numerous variations of this Russian recipe. The Art of Russian Cuisine, says “it is doubtful that Beef Stroganoff (named after Count Pavel Stroganoff, a 19th century Russian diplomat) was his or his chef’s invention since the recipe was included in the 1871 edition of the Molokhovets cookbook which predates his fame as a gourmet. Not a new recipe, by the way, but a refined version of an even older Russian recipe, it had probably been in the family for some years and became well known through Pavel Stroganoff’s love of entertaining.”


Serves 4
recipe adapted from Epicurious
print this recipe

2 1/2 lb. piece beef tenderloin, well trimmed, meat cut across the grain into strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 lb. small button mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons Cognac
3/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
12 ounces wide egg noodles
1 tablespoon paprika

Season meat with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat until very hot. Working in batches, add meat in single layer and cook just until brown on outside, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a bowl.

Melt butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped shallots and sauté until tender, scraping up browned bits, about 2 minutes. Add button mushrooms. Sprinkle with pepper and sauté until liquid evaporates, about 12 minutes. Add beef broth, then Cognac. Simmer until liquid thickens and just coats mushrooms, about 14 minutes. Stir in crème fraîche and Dijon mustard. Add meat and any accumulated juices from the meat. Simmer over medium-low heat until meat is heated through but still medium-rare, about 2 minutes. Stir in chopped dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl. Divide noodles among plates. Top with beef sauce. Sprinkle generously with paprika.


The Culinary Chase’s Note: Awesome flavors!  I scoured the web for what I thought would be an easy task and finally found this recipe from Epicurious in their 1999 issue.  I didn’t use as much oil in the pan as the recipe calls for as I like to flash-fry the beef (about 1 teaspoon) and remember not to overcrowd the strips of beef when cooking.