Beef Stroganoff

My husband is a recovering picky eater. When we first met almost fifteen years ago, there was a lengthy list of things he wouldn’t eat. I nearly ended the relationship on the spot when I discovered he didn’t like bacon. Doesn’t like bacon??? Clearly, this was a cause for alarm. But, I stuck around. And as our relationship developed I learned more about his lifelong history as a picky eater. I giggled when his mom shared stories of ordering cheeseburger happy meals, sans the burger on the cheeseburger. I questioned his ability to eat a turkey sandwich with swiss cheese and mustard on whole wheat every single day, without exception. And I puzzled over the quantity of Sunny D he consumed. What in the world is Sunny D, anyway??

As a person who thrives on cooking and eating a wide variety of foods, I was flummoxed by his limited diet and long list of food biases. Thankfully, since the time we met fifteen years ago, he has greatly expanded his food repertoire. Not only does he eat bacon, he loves it. Burgers delight him. And he now eats a tuna sandwich for lunch every day instead of turkey and drinks real orange juice, made from real oranges. He still won’t eat Chinese food, or anything whose name or flavor profile slightly resembles Chinese food. And I’ve repeatedly failed to get him to appreciate duck. But, for the most part, he eats whatever I place in front of him. For that, I am thankful.

But during our early days, cooking for my picky mate was a bit more challenging. He had not yet grown to trust my cooking ability and I was not fully clear on what he would or wouldn’t eat. So, imagine my delight when I discovered that one of his favorite meals was Beef Stroganoff. That just so happened to be one of my very favorite meals. I was happy to make it for him. There are endless versions of this classic recipe floating around. My version is my memory’s adaptation of the recipe my mom used to make for our family. I’m not sure how it compares to my husband’s childhood memory of Beef Stroganoff, but he’s never complained. No matter how you make it, it’s hard to go wrong with tender bites of beef in a creamy sauce over buttered egg noodles. Perfect comfort food deliciousness.

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds Beef (Flank Steak, Sirloin, Bottom Round, Chuck Roast, etc.)
• 5-6 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 small Onion, chopped
• 2 cups Mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1 1/2 cups Beef Stock
• 2 Tbsp Worchestershire Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 3/4 cup Sour Cream
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 bag Wide Egg Noodles, cooked according to package directions
• Butter, for noodles

Directions

To prepare the meat, cut the beef into small slices or chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and toss so that each piece is evenly coated in flour. Set aside.

Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the mushrooms and onions are tender. Remove the mushrooms and onions from the pan and set aside.

Add a few more tablespoons of oil to the pan, over medium heat. Add the beef in a single layer. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until the beef is browned and almost completely cooked through. (It will finish cooking as it simmers in the sauce.)

Add the beef stock to the pan and use a wooden spoon or whisk to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Return the mushroom and onions to the pan and simmer for a few minutes. The sauce should begin to thicken.

Add the worchestershire sauce and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Turn down the heat to low and add the sour cream. Stir until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Serve over hot, buttered egg noodles.

Serves 4