Beef Stroganoff
Created in the early 19th
century and named for Count Pavel Alexandrovich Stroganov, the last male scion
of a rich and aristocratic Russian family for whom the creator, a French chef,
worked, this dish became an international haute cuisine classic. The
Franco-Russian treat combines the seared steak and Dijon mustard of French
cuisine with the sour cream of Russia. And although the name of the Stroganov
family’s chef is now lost, naming the creation for his patron was probably a
wise career move.
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| Made by my grandson August Pearson |
The alternate spelling
“Stroganoff” (the original name is spelled in the Cyrillic, not Roman, alphabet)
is used internationally for the dish. Some recipes use mushrooms and ketchup,
others do not. But beef, onions, Dijon mustard and sour cream are essential.
The other essential is that the strips of beef are fried quickly, part at a
time, so they brown lightly, rather than stew. I use beef “flatiron” steak, but
fancier cuts of tender lean beef can be used, up to and including tenderloin.
The traditional
accompaniment for the dish is “French” fried strips of potato. But rice and noodle
dishes also go well. The recipe serves six.
1-1/2 pounds “flatiron”
(blade of chuck) steak
Butter and sunflower or
other vegetable oil (not olive)
1 large onion, very thinly
sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons red wine
1/2 pound small
mushrooms, end of tips removed, mushrooms halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons tomato
ketchup or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 bay leaf
1 1/4 teaspoons salt,
plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons snipped
fresh dill for topping (optional)
Trim tough parts off
surface of beef. Cut away any fat. Slice steak across the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Cut any
pieces longer than 3 inches into halves. Set aside.
In large frying pan (one
you can serve in) fry sliced onions in 1 tablespoon butter plus 1 tablespoon
oil until quite limp. Sprinkle with flour and stir well and gently fry 2
minutes. Add broth and wine, and stir well. Let mixture come to a boil. Add
mushrooms, ketchup or paste, mustard, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Let simmer
gently, covered, 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
Heat a griddle or another
large frying pan. Add some butter and oil and fry part of the beef, such that
it all rests without overlap on the pan and fries. Stir to turn the pieces
frequently, until they are gently browned in parts and the pink color has just
left. Transfer beef to the sauce mixture, using slotted spoon.
Add more butter plus oil
to frying pan as needed, continue to fry part of the beef at a time until
finished.
Reheat the pan that
contains the sauce, mushrooms, and beef, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in
sour cream and remove from heat as soon as the mixture bubbles. Taste and add
salt, if necessary.
Sprinkle beef mixture
with snipped dill, if used,. Serve with noodles, rice or French fries.
