Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff

serves 4

3/4 pound Crimini mushrooms (or white button), sliced

1 1/2 pound top sirloin cut into bite-sized strips

1 yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 T butter

2 T flour

1 1/2 cups beef stock

1 T Dijon mustard

5 T sour cream

1 T paprika

1 t dill

serve with:

  1 pound egg noodles tossed in butter and a pinch of salt

• Melt 2 T of butter in a high-sided frying pan. Toss the beef with salt & pepper. Cook hot & quick in the butter just until the edges are brown. Remove to a bowl leaving as much butter and juices in the pan.
• Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan. Add a little more butter or oil if needed, but try not to. Mushrooms will dry out the pan at first, but then they start to release all their juices and you'll be fine.
• When the mushrooms have started to brown, add the garlic and cook until it is just starting to brown as well. Add this all to the bowl with the beef (this time getting the pan as clean as possible).
• Now make a roux to thicken the sauce: melt 2 T of butter in the pan and sprinkle it with 2 T flour. Whisk it well until it starts to brown (I like it medium brown, just about the color of caramel). Add the beef stock in a steady stream while whisking like crazy.
  
• Whisk in the sour cream, mustard, dill, and paprika.
• Add all the reserved ingredients and adjust the salt & pepper.

Shortcut:

• Cook the beef, mushrooms, onions, and garlic together until the beef is cooked through and the mushrooms are tender.
• Add the paprika, dill, half the stock, and half the sour cream. Mix well.
• Add more sour cream and stock until it is a consistency and flavor you like (without the flour-butter roux it won't be as thick and rich, but it's still yummy).