Monday, November 5, 2012

Savory Stroganoff

I don't know about where you live, but here in Vancouver, it has been raining non-stop for weeks. It is grey and dark and miserable. And when the weather turns like this each year it's time to pull out recipes that are warm and comforting and make your soul happy. 

A beautiful beef stroganoff is one of our favorite fall dishes of all time. Tender strips of beef and mushrooms cooked with onions and sour cream and served over noodles make up this classic recipe. The best thing about this dish is that because the meat is braised in the oven over time, you can use less expensive cuts of meat which have more flavour, and just need time for them to become tender. We used Top Sirloin, but stew beef would work just as well. 

What is your favorite comfort food? Let us know in our comments section below. 

Serves 6.

Ingredients:
3 pounds of beef (Top Sirloin, Round Steak)
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup Vegetable oil for sauteing, approx
4 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste (you can use catchup in a pinch)
2/3 cups sour cream
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper
Broad egg noodles, cooked

Directions:
1. Slice the steak into thin strips across the grain. Strips should be 1/4" thick.
2. In a shallow dish or plate, put flour and add a pinch of both salt and pepper.  Dredge the meat in the flour mixture, shake meat to remove any excess.
3. In a frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable, add a single layer of meat, and brown both sides. Do not cook the meat through.
4. Put the browned meat into a large oven proof pot. Continue browning until all meat is done, add more oil as needed.
5. Saute onion, celery, and mushrooms in the same pan until translucent, and lightly browned. Add veggies to the meat.
6. Deglaze the pan by adding 1 cup of the beef broth and bring to the boil. Scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add liquid to the pot.
7. Add the rest of the broth, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste to the pot. Put pot in oven with lid and bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until meat is tender.
8. Put pot on the stove and bring stroganoff to a boil. Sauce may need to be reduced through boiling until it is the consistency of thick gravy.
9. Take stroganoff off the heat and add sour cream. Stir to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
10. Serve on broad egg noodles.   

Quick Tip: To make the meat easier to slice, firm it up by putting it in the freezer for 30 mins - 1 hour.  

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