Cooking: Beef Stroganoff

During the winter months, I love to make meals that are easy to put together. However, I also love to make dinners that cook over long periods of time. It fills the house with the most wonderful aroma, curled up on the sofa with a fire burning... it smells like home. Beef stroganoff is a wonderfully flavorful dish that can be cooked on a Sunday afternoon and finished quickly during the week for dinner.

 

I start with an approximately 2 pound beautiful chuck steak. Once I cut into 1 to 1 and 1/2 inch cubes, dry (according to Julia Child) with a paper towel, season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 T. of olive oil in the bottom of a large heavy sauce pan and brown on all sides. Making sure not to crowd the pan. Once the meat is browned, remove and finish all the meat.

Add 4 T. of butter, and saute 8 oz of mushrooms. Remove from pan and set aside. Next saute one onion, thinly sliced until translucent. Remove the onions and set aside with the mushrooms. Add 4 T. of flour and brown the roux slightly.

Add 2 c.of beef stock to the roux. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and stir in 2 t. of dijon mustard. Add the beef back to the pan. Cover and simmer for one to two hours, or until the meat is tender. At this step, you can store the beef, mushrooms and onions until another night. 

To finish the dish, add the mushrooms, onions, 1/3 c. of wine, 1/3 c. of sour cream, salt and pepper to taste. Heat thoroughly for approximately five to ten minutes. If the broth is not thick enough, add cornstarch and water mixture to thicken the sauce.

Serve over egg noodles or rice. 

A delicious weekend dinner or a special dinner for the weeknight.

Beef Stroganoff

2 lbs of chuck steak, cubed

1/2 t. of salt
1/2 t. of ground black pepper
2 T. of olive oil
4 T. butter
1 onion, sliced thinly
8 oz mushrooms
4 T. flour
2 c. of beef stock
2 t. dijon mustard
1/3 c. sour cream
1/3 c. white wine
Salt and pepper to taste