American Flavors Beef Stroganoff

American Flavors Beef Stroganoff

The origin of Beef Stroganoff seems to be shrouded in a bit of mystery, however most culinary historians agree that this dish was popularized in Russia by a nobleman named Pavel Alexandrovich Stroganov in the 1890's, a time when he was famous for his parties. Some say Stroganov's chef, Charles Briere was the original creator of Beef Stroganoff, following the tradition of naming culinary creations after the noble house he was working in, but the recipe by this same name appeared in a Russian cook book years earlier. 

"A Gift to Young Housewives" 1861 - Elena Molokhovets  ("Подарок молодым хозяйкам" - 1861 Елена Ивановна Молоховец). The book was very popular and Molokhokets updated it up until the Soviet Revolution and the creation of the communist Soviet Union in 1917. Molokhovets' recipe calls for prepared mustard, flour, butter, bouillon, and only 2 Tbsp of sour cream, barely resembling Beef Stroganoff recipes today. It's certainly different than the Beef Stroganoff that I have ordered in St Petersburg, Russia recently, in restaurants on Nevskiy Prospekt, the same street where the former noble house of Pavel Stroganov still stands proud. The Beef Stroganoff I received in Russia included julienned beef strips and pickled cucumbers in a sour cream sauce plated on top of mashed potatoes. It was surprisingly tasty, but not what I expected.

In the 1930's, Beef Stroganoff recipes began to appear in American cookbooks, the recipes taken from The Russian Tea Room and Russian Kretchma, which were New York City restaurants of the time. The recipes however introduced mushrooms to the recipes and use sweet cream instead of sour cream, both not authentic Russian ingredients. "The Joy of Cooking" - 1931 Irma Rombaur included a recipe for Beef Stroganoff which included mushrooms, onion and sour cream. Following World War II, when beef became more readily available, Beef Stroganoff became a chef's fad through the 50's.

So, I must say that the American Flavors recipe for Beef Stroganoff is definitely an Americanized version, and the recipe that I cook in Russia is quite different. I'll post my recipe made with Russian ingredients soon, after I return to Russia and prepare it there. Until then, enjoy the American Flavors!

The ingredients list is fairly simple:

1 pound (0.5 kilo) beef steak. I prefer top sirloin but cheaper cuts can be used.

1 Tbsp olive oil (or you can use butter)

1/2 red onion

1/2 pound (225 grams) white button mushrooms, stems removed and sliced.

1+1/2 cups (350 ml) sour cream

1/2 cup (120 ml) dry red wine. I prefer cabernet savignon.

egg noodles or any wide, flat noodle.

salt and pepper

Rinse and completely dry the meat. Trim off any large pieces of fat on the meat. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and rub it into the meat. Occasionally I prefer to use garlic salt instead of plain salt. It adds a little extra flavor but it is not necessary.

Place the meat on a foil-lined pan and place it under the broiler on it's highest setting for approximately 5 minutes. Flip the meat and brown the other side for an additional 5 minutes. We want the outside to brown without the inside completely cooking. The inside will cook further in the sauce so if it's cooked now, it will be overcooked when we serve it.

When both sides are browned, remove the meat from the broiler and let it rest for at least 5 minutes. If we cut it now, all the juices inside will be lost. After resting, slice the meat against the grain into 1/4 inch (6mm) strips. You will notice that the center of the meat will still be pink.

In a large pot, boil water and a large pinch of salt. It's very important that pasta has lots of water to move in. Also be sure to have the water at a rolling boil before you add the pasta. Cook the pasta just past al dente while finishing the Stroganoff sauce.

In a large, tall-sided pan, heat the oil until it shimmers. Finely dice the red onion and add it to the pan. Stir the onions frequently until soft.

Reduce the heat to low and add the sliced mushrooms to the pan with 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry red wine. Remember, never cook with wine you wouldn't drink. The rest of this bottle will go great with the finished meal. Stir for approximately 2 minutes. We want the wine and onion flavor to be absorbed by the mushrooms, but we don't want to cook them until they release their liquid. The mushrooms should still hold their shape.

Drop in 1+1/2 cups (350 ml) sour cream. Once the sour cream is added, we will need to stir this mixture very frequently.

If the sauce boils, it will break, and the water will separate from the sauce resulting in a grainy, watery sauce. Stir to combine the ingredients completely.

Add the sliced meat to the sauce and continue stirring. You don't need to stir constantly, but we do need to be careful not to let the sauce boil while we bring the temperature back up.

Continue to cook the meat in this sauce for approximately 5 minutes, or just until the pinkness disappears. The slices are thin, so they will finish cooking quickly.

Serve on top of a bed of noodles and enjoy with the rest of the red wine. This dinner can be a great romantic and impressive dish. The red wine cream sauce is very luxurious and the meat will be very tender. This is certainly the Americanized version, but I have to say the addition of mushrooms really adds great flavors and textures to each bite. Even though the name may be Russian, this dish has become very popular in America. Sit back and enjoy the American Flavors.