Start Ahead Stroganoff Food

BEEF STROGANOFF

Steps:

• For the stroganoff: Preheat a large skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Raise the heat to high and heat 1 tablespoon oil. Season half the beef with salt and pepper, add to the skillet, arranging it in a single layer, and cook without stirring until well-browned and still pinkish inside, 1 to 2 minutes. (It is key to only partially cook the meat at this stage, since it will be finish cooking later in the sauce.) Transfer to a large plate and set aside. Repeat with the remaining oil and beef. Discard any excess oil.
• Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and, when the foaming begins to subside, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until well-browned, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the plate with the beef.
• Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in the skillet; when the foaming begins to subside, add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute more. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in the beef broth and, whisking constantly, bring to a full boil. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the sour cream, mustard and lemon juice and season with pepper to taste. Set the sauce aside covered.
• Meanwhile, for the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously, and cook the noodles until tender but not mushy. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with the butter and season with pepper.
• Add the beef and any juices, mushrooms and parsley to the sauce and reheat over medium heat until just hot. (Do not boil.) Divide the noodles among 4 plates and top with the stroganoff. Serve immediately.

THE BEST BEEF STROGANOFF

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Season the beef with 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, untouched, until starting to turn brown in some spots, about 1 minute. Use tongs to flip the pieces and continue cooking until deep golden brown but still undercooked in the center, about 1 minute (the beef will finish cooking in the sauce). Transfer the beef to a bowl and return the skillet to the stovetop on medium-high.
• Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally to scrape up the browned bits in the pan, until the onions are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons butter, the button mushrooms, shiitakes and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally scraping up any browned bits, until the mushrooms have released some liquid and are starting to crisp up, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until evaporated, about 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until incorporated. Fold in the sour cream, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Pour in the beef broth and stir until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, while the sauce reduces, cook the egg noodles according to the package directions for al dente. Drain and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the chopped parsley and chives.
• Fold the beef and any accumulated juices from the bowl into the sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is cooked through but still slightly pink on the inside, about 1 minute.
• Divide the noodles between 4 bowls and top with the sauce and beef. Sprinkle with more chives, if desired.

BEEF STROGANOFF

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick frying pan then add 1 sliced onion and cook on a medium heat until completely softened, around 15 mins, adding a little splash of water if it starts to stick.
• Crush in 1 garlic clove and cook for 2-3 mins more, then add 1 tbsp butter.
• Once the butter is foaming a little, add 250g sliced mushrooms and cook for around 5 mins until completely softened.
• Season everything well, then tip onto a plate.
• Tip 1 tbsp plain flour into a bowl with a big pinch of salt and pepper, then toss 500g sliced fillet steak in the seasoned flour.
• Add the steak pieces to the pan, splashing in a little oil if the pan looks dry, and fry for 3-4 mins, until well coloured.
• Tip the onions and mushrooms back into the pan. Whisk 150g crème fraîche, 1 tsp English mustard and 100ml beef stock together, then stir into the pan.
• Cook over a medium heat for around 5 mins.
• Scatter with some chopped parsley, and serve with pappardelle or rice.

BEEF STROGANOFF (WITH MAKE AHEAD DIRECTIONS)

Steps:

• Heat sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot.
• Sauté half of the beef in 1 Tbsp of butter briefly to brown.
• Remove beef and any juices from pan into a bowl.
• Repeat with second half of beef.
• In same pan, without washing out, add 1 more Tbsp of butter and sauté the onions and mushrooms until soft.
• Remove to bowl with beef.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook noodles per the package directions while finishing the sauce. (Skip this step if you are making ahead.).
• Melt remaining 3 Tbsp of butter.
• Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
• Whisk the broth into butter-flour mixture, slowly to prevent lumping.
• Add ketchup, paprika, basil, and nutmeg.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
• Add meat, mushrooms, and onions to sauce and continue to simmer for 5- 10 minutes more.
• Remove from heat and stir in sherry.
• Stir in sour cream, and serve immediately over the drained egg noodles.
• MAKE AHEAD: Complete the sauce up through adding the sherry. Cool completely, and freeze.
• Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
• Prepare noodles according to package directions.
• While noodles cook, reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat until hot.
• Off the heat, stir in the sour cream, and serve as above.

NEXT LEVEL BEEF STROGANOFF

Steps:

• Whisk the stock and all but 2 tbsp of the soured cream together. Set aside.
• Generously season the steaks. Heat half the butter in a frying pan until sizzling, then cook the steaks for 8 mins, turning them every minute or so, until golden brown on each side. Remove and set aside.
• Heat the rest of the butter in the steak pan, tip in the shallots and cook for about 5 mins or until starting to caramelise. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 mins or until golden. Stir in the garlic and paprika along with a pinch of porcini powder and continue to cook for 1 min.
• Add the vinegar and leave to simmer for 1 min. Turn the heat down to its lowest setting and pour in the creamy stock, stirring everything together until hot but not simmering, then taste for seasoning and add most of the parsley and the mustard.
• Pour in any juices from the steak, before carving it into thick slices and adding to the pan. To serve, top with the remaining soured cream, then scatter with the remaining parsley, a pinch of paprika and porcini powder, if using.

CLASSIC BEEF STROGANOFF

Steps:

• In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, toss beef, onion, and mushrooms with 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt and teaspoon pepper. Cover, and cook on low until meat is tender, about 8 hours (or on high for 6 hours).
• In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, whisk cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Ladle 1 cup cooking liquid into measuring cup; whisk to combine. Pour into a small saucepan, and bring to a boil; cook until thickened, about 1 minute. With slow cooker turned off, stir in cornstarch mixture, then sour cream and mustard. Serve beef over noodles; sprinkle with dill, if desired.