Avid readers of this news service will know I’ve suggested that the beef producers are trying a subtle new ’boutique, ‘dine-out’ marketing approach. Well, I’m still cooking my beef at home. And I’m as-suring my success with a low-and-slow cooking method……
My version of Classic Beef Stroganoff: It includes mushrooms and onions.
All you need to complete a sumptuous meal is a simple tossed salad…
One of the ‘fanciest dishes we attempted in the lab at culinary school was beef Stroganoff. It’s actu-ally pretty hard to screw up, and it has universal appeal to those who eat meat…
Deceptively easy
Stroganoff is, in fact, deceptively easy, once you have all your basic kitchen skills down pat and know your well. The hardest paret may be waiting for it to simmer down until the flavours have all melded and married into that unique ‘Stroganoff’ profile, and the meat is falling-apart tender!
My personal recipe…
Since I talk about Stroganoff in the adjacent post about Beef going ’boutique’, I thought it would be a good idea – not to mention fun – to tip the scales back at least part way toward the ‘home cooking’ side of the balance.
Thus I offer a dèja-cook look at my own go-to Classic Beef Stroganoff recipe, as inspired by my cu-linary school version, an tweaked by me over the years.
My rationale…
Sister Erin loves Beef Stoganoff as much as I do. And she couldn’t resist bringing home a beautiful tray of boneless Beef Chuck ‘stewing meat’ the other day, when it was on sale at our go-to neigh-bourhood supermarket. By on sale, I mean 50% off the usual price, which is an almost unheard-of deal these days!
So, this post is going kill several birds with one stone – not the least of which is reacquainting me with the details if its prep.
The real secret…
The recipe is a little prep-heavy and time consuming. You’ll want to start making it in the early after-noon so it’s ready for your diners to dig into by 5 or 6 pm. By which I want to stress… Don’t rush the long-simmer. That’s the real secret of Stroganoff success!
DO splurge on the full recommended 500 ml of real sour cream. It need not be expensive, top-brand stuff. Just nice and thick ‘classic’ style, to ensure the ultimate creamy sauce.
Likewise, DON’T pay a premium for the classiest beef stock from the store. Just get the store-brand low- or no-salt stuff so you can control the sodium content of the finished dish.
I’ve found that many long-simmered dishes tend to taste over-salted by the time they’re declared ready, because the cooks ‘taste for seasoning’ so many times during the cooking, and add too much salt in total – or just add ‘another pinch’ of salt too many times along the way…
My take
This dish is a really great way to immerse yourself into a kitchen ‘refresher’ experience. Indulge your-self in some luxe ingredients. Bring your knife skills back to razor sharpness with the practice the prep provides. And carry the whole exercise to a triumphant climax with a recipe that transforms a peasant dish literally into a meal fit for a Czar!
~ Maggie J.