Beef Stroganoff Revisited

Since I posted the crock pot version of this recipe in March 2011, I’ve made it a couple times and got a little feedback. It’s been coming out too thin.

So, I made a few changes and when I made it last night, my wife said that it is the best I’ve done.

I suggest you go back to the March post and then read on, but if not, the recipe is in full.

Click to enlarge

1 lb beef
Salt and pepper
½ onion chopped
1 tblspn minced garlic
¾ lb sliced fresh mushrooms (or 1 can)
2 tblspn butter
3 tblspn flour
10 oz can beef broth (or consommé)
1 tblspn ketchup
½ cup wine
1 cup sour cream

Place beef, onion, and garlic in crockpot. Salt and pepper. Cook on low all day (you can cook on high for less time, but make sure meat is fall apart tender).
About an hour and a half before dinner time, put the mushrooms in with the meat. (Remember my tip on slicing fresh mushrooms)
At dinner time, shake the flour, broth, ketchup, and wine.
Heat butter in skillet until melted then add flour, broth, ketchup, and wine.
Drain meat, onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Cut the meat into bite sized pieces then add it all to skillet. Heat on medium to a boil and stir until gravy thickness.
Stir in the cup of sour cream. Reduce to low heat (simmer).
Cook noodles according to package, drain (rinse if desired.)
Serve Stroganoff over noodles.


Notice, just a little more wine this time. Plus don’t forget to give the dogs the leftover fat. You’ll also notice that instead of adding left over tomato paste to your ketchup bottle, I simplified it by just using ketchup.

Now I’m hungry. Luckily, I got some left over Beef Stroganoff.
Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

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I first made this recipe in 1974. It originally came from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, but over the years I’ve made a few minor changes.

The original recipe is as follows.
Beef Stroganoff
Cut one pound beef sirloin into ¼ inch strips. Combine 1 tablespoon flour and ½ teaspoon salt. Coat meat with flour mixture. Heat skillet, then add 2 tablespoons butter or margarine. When melted, add sirloin strips and brown quickly on both sides. Add one 3 oz. can mushrooms, drained, ½ cup chopped onion, and 1 clove garlic, minced; cook 3 or 4 minutes or till onion is crisp-tender.
Remove meat mixture and mushrooms from pan. Add 2 tablespoons butter or margarine to the pan drippings; blend 3 tablespoons all purpose flour. Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste. Stir in 1 ¼ cups cold beef stock or one 10 oz can condensed beef broth. Cook and stir over medium high heat till thickened and bubbly.
Return browned meat and mushrooms to skillet. Stir in one cup dairy sour cream and 2 tablespoons dry white wine; cook slowly till heated thoroughly (do not boil) Keep warm over hot water. Serve over hot buttered noodles. Makes 4 or 5 servings.

Now, I found several things wrong or just a pain in the ass with the original recipe. The first is the cut of meat. Sirloin is kinda tough unless you cook the heck out of it. I either use a better cut of meat like a rib steak (rib eye) or a tenderloin. If I do use a cheap cut, I use whatever’s on sale. If that’s sirloin so be it. I then cut it into bite sized pieces instead of strips and I remove all that fat. I actually cook the fat with it, then feed it to the dog.

Then there’s all that flour mixture bullshit. It’s a pain in the rear. Then how about that tablespoon of tomato paste. What do you do with the rest of the can? How about the wine. Dry white? I always heard you served red with beef, white with chicken or fish.

So here’s the cure and then some.

I cook it in the crockpot.

I cut the meat into bite sized pieces. Throw it in the crockpot on high. I chop up one medium onion and throw the whole thing in there. I use pre-chopped garlic and throw in a heavy spoon full. Mix a tablespoon flour and ½ teaspoon salt sprinkle it over the meat. Let it cook til the meat is tender, I mean melt in your mouth fall apart tender. Pull out that fat, rinse it, chop it up, and feed it to the dog.

Use whatever kinda wine ya got on hand and throw in about a quarter cup. Now you can throw in a can of mushrooms, but I prefer about ¾ to a pound of fresh mushrooms, sliced. My brother, who makes a fantastic stroganoff says you can never have too many mushrooms. Cook in the crock on high for about three hours stirring whenever you think of it.

Throw in the full 6 oz can of tomato paste. It makes your stroganoff a little red. If you prefer a lighter color, follow the one tablespoon recipe then throw the rest in the ketchup bottle. Or if your crazy, just throw the rest away, save it, whatever. Pour in the can of beef broth or consomme. Sir in the 3 tablespoons of flour. I use a shaker with some of the broth. Now this should cook up to a nice gravy consistency. If it's too thin, taste it. Can you add more flour without making it taste like flour? If so add a tablespoon at a time and let it cook awhile, and repeat if necessary.

Cook your noodles or rice, which ever you prefer. I like both. While you’re cooking the noodles or rice, stir in that cup of sour cream. Serve it over the noodles or rice.

Yep, that’s some good stuff!

Enjoy!

PS- Here's a handy tip for the fresh mushrooms.

I use my egg slicer to slice the mushrooms.