Stroganoff beef

We can call this recipe ” From Russia with love “, like the well-known James Bond movie. It is a dish of Russian origin, delicious, and that has personally conquered me. A preparation that almost everyone knows the name, but then few know how it is prepared. It is not complicated at all, we can do it at home without complications, and with ingredients available to anyone.

Like all these dishes of international cuisine , it has its own particular history. The most widely accepted version dates back to the end of the 19th century, when a chef in the service of Count Pável Aleksándrovich , a famous Russian general who created the recipe while participating in a cooking competition. There are also those who think that this chef did not invent anything new, since in Russian traditional cuisine sour cream was already used for elaborations with beef. From Russia it spread to neighboring China, and from there to the United States, thanks to migratory flows of Russian and Chinese citizens. This dish, the Beef Stronanoff , quickly became popular and many variants emerged throughout the country. In Brazil they also have their version, the Strogonofe , although it is somewhat different because it can have tomato sauce instead of sour cream, although Sandra Álves tells me that it is usually made there with beef (or chicken, or shrimp), cream, mushrooms, mustard and cognac. Mushrooms were added to the original recipe in France. In summary, we can say that this recipe is widespread internationally, with different variations depending on the cuisine of each country.

Being the main ingredient of the dish, it is very important to use good quality meat . There are many brands already on the reference market, but to recommend I would say that with Galician Veal success is assured. Vaiva Elkinaite tells me on facebook that some recipes do not use mustard but pickles cut into sheets, I have not tried it but it is sure to be great too. I encourage you to prepare this recipe at home, it is delicious.

Preparation of the Stroganoff beef

1. We start by cutting the fillets into strips of equal size, like a finger thick and about 5 cm. long. In a frying pan with a little oil, sauté over high heat until golden brown. We remove them and reserve for later. In this way we seal them and make them look tender inside.
2. In the same pan, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Cut the onion into julienne strips and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
3. While the onion is being made, we clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth and cut the beginning of the foot, which usually brings dirt. Never pass them through the tap water, otherwise we will lose a lot of their flavor. We chop them into sheets.
4. Now add the shampoos and mix. We salt to taste. We continue cooking over medium heat, and pour a good stream of white wine. We let it reduce the sauce so that the alcohol evaporates.
5. The time for cream comes. We shake the brick well and pour it on the rest of the ingredients. And also a tablespoon of tarragon mustard, which gives the sauce a special touch. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes so that it takes on texture.
6. We add the meat that we had reserved, and with it the juice that may have been released. Season to taste and remove the whole set. We will leave on medium heat 3-4 minutes, and we will check that the sauce is thickening and acquiring the desired point.

To accompany this Stroganoff veal I have made some fried potatoes, but another very good option is to accompany it with white rice. It is a delicious dish, the kind to dip bread in the sauce, and enjoy its intense flavor. International cuisine to try at home, and succeed before the rest of diners.