Beef Stroganoff

I find this dish impossible to make with singing a certain line from the movie Anastasia (not! a Disney movie btw).  The part where Dimitri, Anastasia and that fat guy are on their way to Paris to meet the Dowager and trying to teach Ana all the family stories by singing You Can Learn to Do It:

[FAT GUY]
Now, elbows in and sit up straight

[DIMITRI]
And never slurp the stroganoff.

[ANASTASIA]
I never cared for stroganoff!

[FAT GUY]
She said that like a Romanov!

Yeah it's in my head and my husband helps it stay there by repeating the above verses anytime I mention making stroganoff.
My family has been making stroganoff for a long time.  I think my Mom got it out of her Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  It's been made so often now that we no longer have to look at the recipe.

I have tried other recipes for stroganoff but they lack the pinkness of this recipe.  Stroganoff must be pink!  Pink is yummy!  It's just beef and noodles without the pink.

Go get: flour, salt & pepper, stew beef (although sirloin is better I'm a cheap skate), tomato paste, garlic, butter, beef broth, sliced mushrooms, onion, sour cream and egg noodles.

Your fist step is to coat the beef in flour that has been salted and peppered.  I just use a large ziplock bag and shake, shake, shake.

Heat up some veggie oil or butter in a large pan.  Don't over crowd.  Do this in batches if you have to.

After the meat has browned up a bit add in your onions and garlic...

and mushrooms.

Cook until onions are soft and then transfer beef mixture into a bowl so we can make the sauce.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter,

When the butter is melted, add 3 tablespoons flour.  If you haven't figured it yet we're making a roux here.  Don't let it burn.

Add in tomato paste and cook a few more minutes.

Slowly pour in the beef broth...

Return meat mixture to to the pan with the sauce.  Bring up to a simmer.  Continue to cook until broth thickens.

Add about a 1/4 cup of the hot sauce to the sour cream to help temper it and prevent it from curdling when you add it to the hot pot.

Add in tempered sour cream and heat through but don't let it come to a boil.  Sauce will now be a nice shade of pink.  Just as it should be;)

Serve over hot buttered egg noodles sprinkled with dried parsley if you happen to have it on hand.
And remember don't slurp.  It isn't royal!

Beef Stroganoff
from the Better Homes and Garden's Cookbook ( I think)

Ingredients:

4 TBS all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1 pound beef stew meat or sirloin steak; cut across the grain, diagonally in 1/4-inch-wide strips
5 TBS butter, divided
1 cup white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TBS Tomato paste
1 10.5-oz can broth
1 cup sour cream
 3 cups egg noodles, cooked
 parsley for garnish

Directions:

Combine 1 tablespoon flour and the salt. Dredge the meat in the flour mixture. Heat a large skillet, then add 2 tablespoons butter (or you can use vegetable oil instead). When melted, add the beef strips and brown quickly on all sides. Add the mushrooms, onion and garlic, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is just tender.

Remove the meat and mushrooms from the skillet. Add 3 tablespoons butter to the pan drippings. When melted, blend in 3 tablespoons flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Slowly pour in the beef broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Return the meat and mushrooms to the skillet and simmer until meat is heated through, about 2 minutes. Combine sour cream with a little bit of the hot broth to prevent it from curdling when added to the hot broth.  Stir in the tempered sour cream mixture. Heat through but do not let it boil, just simmer for a few minutes before serving.

Serve over hot buttered noodles and parsley.

Makes 4-5 servings.