Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff is a straightforward Russian dish meant to be served warm and thus very well suited for these cold winter afternoons.

It is pretty quick and easy to cook, just follow the recipe below and check its “secrets” and variations in the Tips and Tricks section below the recipe!

Beef Stroganoff Recipe

... with silky smooth sauce, served over butter covered Tagliatelle!

Beef Stroganoff Recipe

Beef Stroganoff
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Beef Stroganoff Recipe Tags & Times

Course Main Dish
Cuisine Russian
Meal Dinner, Lunch
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes

Beef Stroganoff Recipe Ingredients

For servings insystem:
For the Beef Stroganoff
For the side pasta

Beef Stroganoff Recipe Instructions

  1. Cut the beef against the grain in thumb sized strips and set aside in a bowl
  2. Slice the mushrooms thickly and set aside
  3. Dice the onion finely and set aside
Preparing the side pasta
  1. Bring to boiling point a large pot with enough water for boiling the pasta (try 3 liters / 4 quarts); add ~50 grams of salt (or 1 tbsp salt / 1 qt water) and stir until dissolved
  2. Pour in the pasta and set your timer according to the instructions on the pasta package
  3. When the time has passed drain the water from the pot but *do not rinse the pasta*
  4. Add the butter over the pasta and fold over until butter melts and cover the pasta
  5. Cover the pasta pot and set aside
Preparing the Beef Stroganoff
  1. Melt the butter in la large pan over low-medium heat until it does not foam anymore
  2. Place the beef strips into the hot butter and brown them about 1 minute, then flip over and brown for another minute. Don't crowd the pan, better brown the beef in batches. If the pan dries out add small amounts of vegetable oil. Don't overcook the beef, it should be medium-rare in the interior at the end of browning
  3. Take the browned beef out of the pan and set aside in a bowl; repeat as necessary until all beef pieces are properly browned but *not overcooked!*
  4. Now add the sliced mushrooms into the pan and stir to cover them with fat, then cook them for about 10-15 minutes or until all liquid evaporates and the mushrooms starts to brown
  5. Scrape the pan bottom with a spatula or a wooden spoon while cooking the mushrooms to mix the fond of the pan bottom into the mushrooms-released liquid
  6. Now it's time to throw in the diced onion. Roll it in the pan to coat it evenly in the remaining fat; add a small amount of vegetable oil if necessary
  7. Spread the grease-covered onion in the pan and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes or until it release most of its liquid
  8. Add the beef broth and the cognac into the pan and increase the heat a bit, allowing the sauce to reduce - this should take about 10-15 minutes, depending on the heat source and the pan
  9. In the meantime combine the sour cream and the mustard in a small pot and heat them gently to increase the mixture temperature in order to avoid breaking it when adding it to the sauce
  10. When the sauce is coating the back of a spoon lower the heat and add the heated sour cream & mustard mixture, then stir the Stroganoff sauce over the heat just until it starts to simmer lightly; *do not overheat the sauce!*
  11. At this point add the beef strips together with any juices drawn in on the plate and allow the mixture to *lightly* simmer again in order to just reheat the beef, for about 2 minutes. *Do not overcook the beef!*
  12. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper; ad the dill and stir to combine
Assembling the Beef Stroganoff plate
  1. For serving add a good amount of previously boiled pasta on a plate, then just spoon some Beef Stroganoff mixture over them, without drenching the pasta with the sauce
  2. Add a couple of parsley leaves and serve right away!

Beef Stroganoff Recipe Tips & Tricks

Beef Stroganoff

The main "secret" tip when cooking the Beef Stroganoff is to keep the heat low enough in all stages - this way you'll have enough time to taste, think and decide when it's enough, thus avoiding overcooking the meat or breaking the Stroganoff sauce.

The main thing to have in mind is to not overcook the meat at any point, or it will toughen and ruin the Stroganoff recipe. Cut the meat in slices thick enough so they won't dry, and cut them in smaller pieces after browning if necessary.

A great & unfair hack to the Beef Stroganoff recipe is to use a vegetal cream sauce like Gran Cucina instead of sour cream. This does not curdle at all, so the Stroganoff sauce will surely come out silky and smooth.

As variations, there are plenty! Just slice the tenderloin in 1/2 inch (1.1 cm) thick slices and at the end take them out of sauce; then mix sauce and pasta together and add the beef slices over the mixture in the plate. Or serve it over steamed rice.

Or add in some tomato sauce and grate it with parmesan cheese like this, or go even further and try a slow cooker Beef Stroganoff like this one!

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