Beef Stroganoff

I do not know of a dish more perfect with noodle/pasta than Beef Stroganoff. My first few experiences in making straganoff at home were nothing to shout about. I have had the dish multiple times in restaurants before and thought that it will be a nice dish to make at home. Armed with the goal, I started my stroganoff making journey, trying out recipes from cookbooks and food websites. Much to my dismay, I was not able to replicate the restaurant quality stroganoff at home.

That's until I found the perfect recipe of all places, youtube.com The recipe is from a French chef, Jean Pierre. The video is really funny, with his accent and all. Anyhow, the recipe was a good one. I know, the traditionalist will disapprove of the tomato puree addition into the stroganoff. You just have to trust me on this one. I shared the recipe with my friend, Angela and her family absolutely loves it. The recipe has been adjusted to suit my family's palate. If you would like to refer to the original recipe, click here


Beef Straganoff
(Adapted from Chef Jean Pierre)
Ingredients
2 lb beef, either chuck roast or london broil, cut into cubes
2 Tbsp canola or olive oil
1 large onion, diced
10 oz white button mushrooms, sliced thick or quartered
1/4 cup flour
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 cup chardonnay or any white wine you prefer
3 cup beef stock
salt & pepper
1/3 cup sour cream
A small handful of  fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Step 1: Prepare all the ingredients. Cut steak into cubes and season well with salt and pepper.

Step 2: In a pot, heat 2 Tbsp of oil over high heat. Brown meat in batches. Do not overcrowd. You want the meat to sear and develop a nice crust. Dish out and set aside.

Step 3: In the same pot over medium heat, saute onion till soft.

Step 4: Add in the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. The salt will help to draw the moisture out of the mushrooms.

Step 5: Sprinkle in the flour over the mushrooms. Add in the garlic. Stir till flour is combined with the mushrooms.

Step 6: Add in the rest of the ingredients except for sour cream and freshly chopped parsley. Bring to a boil and let cook on low for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. You can also bring it to a boil and transfer content into a crockpot. Cook on high for 30 minutes and continue on low for 4 hours in a crockpot.

Step 7: Once it is done, taste the sauce. Season with more salt and pepper, if necessary. Remove the bay leaf.

Serve with egg noodle, freshly chopped parsley and a dollop of sour cream.