Beef Stroganoff or Beef Stroganov is a dish of Russian origin that consists of small pieces of beef (and sometimes ground beef) that are cooked in a sauce. The beef stroganoff sauce is made with a type of sour cream known as Smetana that is made by souring heavy cream. The beef is first sauteed and sometimes mushrooms are added to it; after which it is then cooked in a sauce prepared with sour cream. Beef stroganoff can be eaten with mashed potatoes, boiled rice, or noodles any cooked pasta.
Table of Contents
Beef Stroganov Ingredients
- 500 grams of Sirloin Beef Steak. Other cuts of beef that are best for the stroganoff recipe include beef tenderloin, boneless rib eye (scotch fillet). Use of beef round steak (topside) should be cooked with a slow cooker because of the texture being chewy and may dry out when overcooked.
- 300 grams of Mushrooms. You can use canned or fresh mushrooms.
- 1/2 tsp of Black Pepper
- 1 medium-sized chopped Onion
- 2 tbsp of Butter
- 1 tbsp of Cornflour or All-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp of chopped Chives or Parsley
- 1 cup of Beef Broth
- 3 tbsp of Sour cream (Smetana)
- 1 cup of Heavy cream
- 2 tbsp of Vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp of Yellow Mustard
- 3 minced Garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
How to Make Beef Stroganoff
Marinate and sear the beef strips
- The first process of making stroganoff is to saute the beef strips. To do this, season the beef with 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of black pepper.
- Then, place a pan on high heat and add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil; allow the oil to heat up and then add the seasoned beef into the pan and sear it for 1 minute; Flip over to the other side and sear for another minute again.
- Remove the seared beef from the heat and keep it aside.
Preparing the Stroganoff Sauce
- Reduce the heat to medium and to the same pan, add 2 tbsp of butter and allow it to melt.
- Add your chopped onions and fry until it is fragrant, then bring in the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until they are golden brown while stirring intermittently.
- After that, add your minced garlic and saute for 1 minute and add your all-purpose flour or corn flour. The flour or cornstarch is serving as a thickener for the beef stroganoff sauce. You can use any soup or stew thickener of choice. Stir the flour on the heat for a minute, this prevents the flour from forming lumps or balls while cooking and also gets rid of the smell of the flour.
- Now, go in with the beef broth and stir while adding it. Bring the sauce to a simmer and then scoop part of the sauce and mix it with your sour cream. Stir the sour cream mixture and then pour it back into the pan, crock pot, instant pot, or slow cooker (whatever type of pot you are using to make the stroganoff sauce). Scooping the sauce to mix with the sour cream prevents the cream from curdling.
- Also, add 1 cup of heavy cream and bring the stroganoff sauce to a boil.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 tsp of black pepper powder, a pinch of salt, and 1 tbsp of yellow mustard. The yellow mustard adds flavor to the beef stroganoff. Also, add the seared beef strips and then stir everything together to combine.
- Cook until the beef is heated for about 8 minutes on medium heat. When the beef is cooked, remove your beef stroganoff from heat and serve with boiled rice, noodles, pasta, or crisp potato straw (the traditional side dish for serving beef stroganoff in Russia).
Variations
Traditional beef stroganoff is prepared with beef cubes rather than beef strips that are then marinated with allspice and salt before sauteeing in butter. The sauce also has sour cream but no mushrooms nor onions. Over the years, some additional ingredients were added to beef stroganoffs such as tomato sauce, onions, and mustard.
Today, Brazilians prepare stroganoff with chicken or shrimp instead of beef. In Finland, additional ingredients such as diced brined pickles are usually added to the Finnish Stroganoff recipe.
What is Beef Stroganoff Sauce made of?
Beef Stroganoff sauce is a gravy made with sour cream and beef broth. This sauce is thickened with flour and flavored with yellow mustard. Mushrooms are sometimes added to the stroganoff sauce.
Frequently asked questions
What can I use instead of Sour cream in Beef stroganoff?
Alternatives or replacements to use instead of sour cream in beef stroganoff include the use of Greek yogurt, crème fraîche, buttermilk, and cottage cheese.
How do you keep sour cream from curdling in beef stroganoff?
Sour cream can be kept from curdling in beef stroganoff by using a small amount of warm water or scoop a small amount of the hot liquid of the sauce and stir together with the sour cream; this tempers the sour cream. When mixed completely, you can then pour it into the sauce and it will prevent the curdling of the sour cream.
Nutrition and Calories
A serving of beef stroganoff (about 243 grams) contains 585 calories, 9 grams of carbs, 37 grams of protein, and 40 grams of fats.
It also contains 125 mg of cholesterol. Other nutrients are minerals such as sodium, potassium, and calcium; and vitamins such as Vitamins A and C.