Beef Stroganoff

Tender strips of sirloin pan-seared then smothered in a rich, beefy sauce with sour cream and Madeira wine. Serve over a bed of hot buttered noodles to soak up the goodness and you’ve got a great dish worth remembering!

Beef stroganoff is truly a classic with history dating back to the 1800s, named for a Russian Count. It was quite popular in the 1950s and 1960s and served by my Grandmother for many a dinner party. Sadly, it is seldom seen on menus these days. Over the years many iterations of the recipe often left the dish somewhat less desirable. But not this version. This recipe, circa early 1960s is made using tender cuts of prime sirloin elevating the dish.

The meat is key to this dish so don’t skimp on a cheap cut of meat. Look for sirloin with even marbling throughout the meat. The beef is sliced into thin strips then dusted with flour and quickly pan-seared. A sharp knife and partially freezing the meat before slicing makes this an easy task.

Then there’s that rich decadent sauce. Start with fresh cremini mushrooms, sweet onions and garlic. Sauté them in butter before simmering in a hearty beef stock deepened with thick, savory tomato paste.

Finish by stirring in tangy, luscious sour cream along with a generous splash of Madeira wine.

Then slide those delectable slices of sirloin back into the sauce. It’s not a complicated dish though the flavors will leave your guests thinking you’ve cooked for hours.

Spoon over buttered noodles and top with a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley. Easy and oh, so comforting!

Beef Stroganoff

1-½ to 2 pounds sirloin steak – go with 2 pounds if you have big appetites to feed

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ cup flour, divided

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

8 tablespoons butter, divided

1-½ tablespoons olive oil

8-ounces fresh Cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 cup chopped sweet onion

½ teaspoon chopped garlic

2-½ cups of beef stock

½ teaspoon concentrated beef base, such as Better than Bouillon

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons Madeira wine

For serving: Hot buttered egg noodles, about one 16-ounce package and chopped fresh parsley

Slice the sirloin steaks into ¼” thick slices*.

Spread the meat out into a single layer and sprinkle with the kosher salt, seasoning both sides. Let the meat rest at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Place ¼ cup of the flour and the black pepper in a shallow dish and whisk to combine. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter along with the olive oil in a large sauté pan placed over medium heat. When the butter and oil are hot, dredge the slices of meat in the flour and pepper.

Cook just until brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Don’t crowd the pan or the meat will steam and not brown.

Transfer the cooked steak to a plate while you cook the mushrooms and onion.

Melt an additional 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Add the onions along with the mushrooms, scraping up any brown bits left in the pan from the steak. Continue cooking over medium heat until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Add the remaining butter and when melted sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of flour over the onions, mushrooms, and garlic.

Stir, blending the flour into the vegetables and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the stock along with the concentrated beef base and blend into the vegetables until the sauce is smooth.

Add the tomato paste, stirring into the sauce.

Reduce the heat to low and add the sour cream and the Madeira wine.

Return the sirloin steak to the sauce and cook until warmed through, about 10 minutes.

Serve over hot buttered noodles and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.

*Partially freezing the steak will make slicing the meat into strips much easier. Wrap the meat in parchment paper and freeze for about 2 to 3 hours.

Serves 4.