Beef Stroganoff was one of my Mother’s specialty dishes and it was sometimes on the menu when important guests came to dinner. This dish is one of the most abused dishes in American culinary circles, with some recipes calling for hamburger, tough cuts of beef stewed for hours, or slow cooked, canned cream soups, and other convenience foods. As is sometimes the norm, American housewives change classic recipes to suit their budgets, and forget that they are committing what should be considered high food crimes by calling their substandard and non-traditional results by the traditional name.

According to Wikipedia and other sources on the web, Beef Stroganoff is Russian and was first mentioned in a classic Russian cookbook, A Gift to Young Housewives which was first published in 1861. The original dish consisted of cubes (not strips as many modern recipes specify) of beef sautéed with prepared mustard and broth with a bit of sour cream stirred in at the end. There were no mushrooms, no wine, and no onions, and the dish was served with crisp shoestring potatoes. The dish has evolved over the years to contain onions and mushrooms, as well as tomato sauce instead of mustard (American versions, of course). Almost Classic Beef Stroganoff is delicious and can be made in 30 minutes or less; it is slightly Americanized, but has the classic ingredients and no culinary criminal activity.

My Mother’s version was adapted from a Betty Crocker cookbook that she used during the 60s, and after doing research, I’ve realized that her version is very close to the modern classic version – there are onions and mushrooms, as well as ketchup (which could be mustard instead if that’s better for your individual taste). My favorite Russian cookbook author, Anya von Bremzen, uses mustard and dill in her version, which, like most of her recipes, is authentic Russian. Beef Stroganoff is one of the easiest and quickest elegant main dishes that you can make.

8 Servings

2 pounds Beef Tenderloin, or New York Steak

1/4 cup butter
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup minced onions

3 cups beef broth
1/4 cup catsup
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup flour

2 cups sour cream

1. Cut meat into bite-sized pieces, removing any fat or gristle; set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the mushrooms and onions; cook and stir until they are tender.
3. Transfer to a bowl.
4. Turn the heat to high and add the meat; stir-fry until lightly browned, but do not let it cook through.
5. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
6. Pour 3/4 cup of the beef broth into a bullet blender with the 1/3 cup flour; whizz until smooth.
7. Add the remaining beef broth, catsup, garlic, and salt to the pan; stir over medium heat until boiling.
8. Whisk in the beef broth/flour mixture and cook until thickened.
9. Add the onions, mushrooms, and beef to the pan and bring to a boil.
10. Turn the heat to low, stir in the sour cream, and serve over rice or noodles.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 415 Calories from Fat 246
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 59% Protein 28% Carb. 13%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 27 g
Saturated Fat 11 g
Cholesterol 110 mg
Sodium 813 mg
Total Carbohydrate 13 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 29 g

Vitamin A 11% Vitamin C 9% Calcium 0% Iron 23%