Beef Stroganoff (Befstróganov)

[nverland]

Beef Stroganoff (Befstróganov)

8 Tbs (120 ml) butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 lb (500 g) mushrooms, quartered
3 Tbs (45 ml) flour
2 cups (500 ml) canned beef stock
¼ cup (60 ml) red wine or 2 Tbs (30 ml) lemon juice
1 Tbs (15 ml) Dijon style mustard
2 lbs (1 Kg) filet mignon, top sirloin, or other
tender cut of beef
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ cup sour cream

Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the butter in a large skillet or
stew pot over moderate heat. Add the onions and mushrooms
and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the onions
and mushrooms from the pan and set aside. To the same
pan add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) butter and the flour. Stir to
combine, and allow to cook until golden brown. Add the beef
stock, red wine or lemon juice, mustard, and the reserved
onion mushroom mixture. Stir over moderate heat until the
sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Cut the beef into strips about ½ inch (1 cm) thick and 2
inches (5 cm) long. In a separate sauté pan over high heat,
melt 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the butter and sauté the beef
strips, a few at a time, until brown. Add more butter to the
pan if necessary. As each batch of meat is cooked, sprinkle
it with salt and pepper and add it to the sauce. When all
the beef has been cooked and added to the sauce, return
the sauce to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Serve at this stage if the meat is cooked to your liking, or
continue to simmer for as long as the cut of meat and your
preferences determine. Either way, 3 minutes before serving,
stir in the sour cream. This dish is traditionally served with
“Russian fries” (oversized French fries) but is also good
served with rice or noodles. Serves 4 to 6.