Бефстроганов - Beef "à la" Stroganov

I have to admit that this is not really a Stroganov recipe anymore.  Which is probably a good thing, because I think my "Russian" in the title is wrong. 

My entire family has tweaked the original recipe so many times over the years that it has definitely become "Americanized".  Then again, I guess it can't really be helped on some level.  It started with the lack of Smetana.

Smetana is an Eastern European soured cream product that has the same properties as Crème Fraîche.  It doesn't curdle under heat like Yogurt and "Sour Cream" do.  It's also not quite as thick as Sour Cream, however, it is more sour than Crème Fraîche, thus the conundrum.  So to produce the same effect, we originally mixed Sour Cream with Heavy Cream and Lemon Juice to produce a "smetana type" product.  Then Crème Fraîche suddenly became available on a regular basis and a shift occurred.  NOW we mix Crème Fraîche with a little Sour Cream and Lemon Juice.  This works significantly better than the old way.  (But in a pinch your can still mix 8 oz of Sour Cream with 2 oz of Heavy Cream and 1 tsp Lemon Juice)

Over the years we have dropped the Dijon Mustard from the recipe...  Which is technically what makes it NOT Stroganov, being by definition "Beef in Mustard and Sour Cream".  Though occasionally I throw it in anyway.  In this family it's all about the wine, sour cream and homemade egg noodles... LOL

That is the one thing that has never changed over the years.... Homemade Egg Noodles.

While I realize that it's more traditional to serve Stroganov ("Stroganoff" in French) with crispy shoestring potatoes, I really enjoy it over noodles.  It's a comfort food thing.  Which is why I was so diligently making Egg Noodles yesterday to fill the freezer shelf.  So I am always prepared for....

Beef à la Stroganoff

1 lb Chuck or Sirloin Steak, cubed in 1 1/2 pieces
1 1/2 TB AP Flour
1 TB Olive Oil
4 TB Unsalted Butter, divided
1 White Onion, chopped
8 oz Crimini Mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp Tomato Paste
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
4 oz Pinot Noir
2 tsp Lemon Juice
8 oz Crème Fraîche      - or -   8 oz Sour Cream
2 oz cup Sour Cream    - or -   2 oz Heavy Cream
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
12 oz Fresh Egg Noodles tossed with Unsalted Butter

Place cubed Beef in a storage bag with the AP Flour, seal and toss well.

Heat 2 TB Olive oil in a saute pan, then add the flour coated Beef and saute until well browned.

Remove from pan and set aside.

Melt 2 TB Unsalted Butter in the saute pan.

When Hot, add the Onions and saute until soft.

Remove from the pan and set aside.

Melt remaining 2 TB Butter in the saute pan.

When hot, add the Mushrooms and saute until browned.

Remove from the pan and set aside as well.

Deglaze the pan with 4 oz of Pinot Noir, lower the heat to Medium-Low and let this reduce by 1/3 (about 2 minutes).

Add the Tomato Paste and Dijon Mustard stirring to combine.

In a small bowl combine the Lemon Juice, Crème Fraîche and Sour Cream (or the Lemon Juice, Sour Cream and Heavy Cream)

Remove the saute pan from the heat and stir in the Crème Fraîche/Sour Cream mixture.

Add the Beef, Onions and Mushrooms back to the pan and continue simmering for 5 minutes.

While the Stroganov is simmering, drop the Fresh Egg Noodles into a pot of salted boiling water for 3 minutes...

Drain well and toss with a little bit of Unsalted Butter. (about 1 TB)

Season with Kosher Salt and Black Pepper, then serve over, or tossed with, Homemade Egg Noodles (or better yet, with crispy Shoe-string potatoes on the side)

Mangia!!
~~

Wisdom of the Elders - Pork Tenderloin in Elderberry Sauce

I mentioned that I had something special planned for a few of the Elderberries I picked last week.  So I dug out my "super secret squirrel" cookbook and thumbed through the pages until I found what I was looking for.  It's been awhile since I have indulged in this sort of dinner time decadence.  But it was well worth the wait. 

I use this Herb Seared Pork Tenderloin Recipe a lot; alone as well as with several sauces.  One of my favorites is a Huckleberry sauce, but I am going to focus on the Elderberries this time. It's a lightly tart yet robust sauce that also works well on Venison too.  In fact, it's utterly AWESOME on Venison... Alas, I must make due with Pork Tenderloin, as Venison is a little beyond my reach right now.

To accompany this dish, I would suggest roasted golden beets.

Herb Seared Pork Tenderloin in Elderberry Sauce

Printable Recipe
1 Pork Tenderloin (approximately 1.25 lbs)
1 TB Dried Lemon Thyme
1 tsp Dried Rosemary
1 tsp Granulated Garlic
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Zest of 1 Lemon
Olive oil

Remove the silver-skin from the tenderloin then dry it with a paper towel.

In a small bowl, combine the Lemon Thyme, Rosemary, Granulated Garlic, Salt, Pepper and Lemon Zest; tossing to mix well.

Rub the Pork Tenderloin with Olive oil.

Rub the Tenderloin with the herb mixture.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, start the elderberry sauce.

After chilling the tenderloin, begin heating olive oil in an oven proof pan over medium flame and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Add the Tenderloin and sear on all sides.

Move the Tenderloin, pan and all, to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees.

Remove from oven and tent with foil for 10 minutes to allow the tenderloin to continue cooking (it should reach 165).

Slice into medallions with a carving knife and serve with the warm Elderberrry sauce, below.

Elderberry Sauce

1/2 cup Pinot Noir
1 cup Elderberries, divided
2 shallots, minced
1 TB Red Wine Vinegar
1 clove Garlic, minced
6 oz Demi-Glace
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
2 TB Butter
1/2 tsp Lemon Thyme

Place Pinot Noir, 1/2 cup of the Elderberrries, Shallot, Red Wine Vinegar & Garlic in a small sauce pan, simmer over low heat until reduced to 1/4 cup.

Strain sauce, then return to the pan.

Add the Demi-Glace and the remaining 1/2 cup of Elderberries.

Simmer over low heat until reduced to 3/4 cup.
Finish the sauce by whisking in the Butter and the Lemon Thyme.

Serve over sliced tenderloin medallions.

Mangia!!
~~
Oh, in case you were curious....

This is my personal cookbook... 

Filled with all sorts of "stuff" and "things"  ;)

Stay Hungry!

Boeuf Bourguignon; Revisited

I just realize that ALL I have been blogging about for the last month or so is Sweets..... And while sweets are delicious, their not so nutritious. I think it's time for some real food. Not that I haven't been eating real food over the last month. I have, and most definitely, since I really don't care for sweets myself. Well except for pie. Can you blame me? I mean, who doesn't like pie?

Most if not all of the goodies I have been making have been for others to enjoy. But because of the time it takes to make those sugar laced bits of goodness, I have been sorely lacking in photographing my actual meals. Way too many photos to take as well as process. My old Titanium 500 Powerbook sees me coming and starts to groan in pain. The poor thing. (I did get a 1.67 Aluminum of of eBay for a song, but I have not had the time to sit down and transfer everything over to it yet, and I really need a fire wire)

I have also been recycling a lot of dishes that I have already made, such as Linguine alla Carbonara, Risottos of various types, Saltimbocca alla Romagna, Spaghettini alla Puttanesca, Flower Pot Chicken and salads. Yeah, lots and LOTS of salads. Massive craving for leafy greens goin on up here. However........

One thing I cooked up and kind of took pictures was Julia Child's infamously delicious Boeuf Bourguignon. Cause it has been bitterly cold and it just sounded hearty and delicious. It is pretty much the same recipe I followed before, except for.......

I used Pancetta instead of bacon.
I used Pinot Noir, instead of Barbera (Pinot Noir is from the Burgundy region of France)
I used Onion (just like the original recipe called for) instead of substituting a leek like I did before.
I used a Chuck Roast instead of a Tri-Tip roast like before.
Oh, and I used a medley of pearl onions... Yellow, White and Red all mixed together.
 They are all pretty standard deviations from the original recipe. I mean you could just as easily make it with Syrah if that is what is in your wine rack (but lemme tell ya, the Pinot was AWESOME) and while Julia mentions "white" pearl onions, I used gold the last time, and, for me at least, Bacon and Pancetta are pretty much interchangeable.. depending on how much smoke flavor I want in a dish. The point is, the only reason I am rehashing this recipe is my need to share what happened at the Meat Market when I was hunting down a significantly large hunk of meat... LOL

So I walk in to the Meat Market, see? and I ask the gentleman behind the counter if he could recommend a different cut of beef for Boeuf Bourguignon, cause I didn't want to use the Tri-Tip again. He goes in the locker and comes back with a whole Beef Tenderloin in tow, at $11.95 a lb ?!?!?!?! (Which is actually a pretty good price, but still.)

I looked at him and said, "Um... You're suggesting that I cook a 3 pounds of Beef Tenderloin in Beef stock, for 2 1/2 hours in the oven?"

He looks at me like I am dense and says, "Well, yes... Cause it will be REALLY tender."

I rephrased and said, "Really, Beef Burgundy (yes, in English this time) with Tenderloin.. Hmmm And here I though that was for Filet Mignon and Chateau Briand (Which is a pounded Tenderloin)"

I mean come on.... I could use Shoe Leather in Beouf Bourguignon and it will be deliciously tender after cooking in moist heat for 2-3 hours.

He just looked at me again, like I was a dolt, and said "They're both French." LMAO.....

So evidently, some people have this misconception that the only piece of cow that they eat in France is the tenderloin. Either that or he really did think I was an idiot and I would purchase a tenderloin at 3 times the price!

So, I bought a chuck roast...And quite a beautiful Chuck roast it was... And literally 1/3 the price of the Tenderloin, and let's face it... Chuck has more flavor than tenderloin does.

Boeuf Bourguignon 
Beef Burgundy

1 10-inch pot that is at least 3 inches deep (This time I used the pyroceram Corningware - Cause you have to cook on the stove and in the oven)
8 oz Pancetta
1 TB Olive Oil
3 LB Chuck Roast
2 Carrot, Sliced
1 Onion, Chopped
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
2 TB Flour
3 cups Pinot Noir (I used a 2006 Carmel Road from Monterey, CA)
2-3 cups Beef Stock (I only needed 2)
1 TB Tomato Paste
2 cloves of Garlic; crushed
1 sprig Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
1 Sprig of Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
1 recipe Brown-Braised Onions (recipe follows)
1 recipe Butter Sautéed Mushrooms (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Slice into 2 inch chunks and pat all pieces of Beef dry with paper towels. (It's true, dry meat browns better)

Chop the Onion and slice the Carrot.

Place casserole over medium high heat and add olive oil. (I used Pyroceram CorningWare instead of enameled cast iron)

Sauté the Pancetta in oil until browned and the fat is rendered out;

then remove with a slotted spoon, to a plate. (mmmm pancetta goodness)

Begin searing the dried Beef chunks in several batches, you don't want to crowd the pan or they won't brown as nicely.

Once they are browned on all sides, remove to the plate with the Bacon.

Add the sliced Vegetables and sauté until they soak up all the delicious meaty goodness left in the pan.

Remove them from the pot, and set aside as well. (mmmmm Pancetta & Beef goodness sautéed right in)

Pour out any remaining fat and add the Beef and Bacon back to the pot.

Sprinkle with Flour and toss to coat, then place in the oven, on the top rack, uncovered, for 4 minutes; toss again and bake 4 minutes more, to brown the Flour (it will smell nutty)

Place pot back on the stove top over medium heat and add the vegetables.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees, then add the wine to the pot.

Then pour in just enough beef stock to barely cover the meat along with Tomato Paste, Garlic, Herbs, Salt and Pepper.

Bring to a simmer and place in the lower rack of the oven, covered, for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.


Meanwhile.......Your going to need about 6 TB of browned butter for these next two recipes.
So simply melt 8 TB unsalted butter in a sauce pan skimming the foam until the proteins brown slightly.... Then strain through cheese cloth.

For complete instructions please check out "Butter May Be Better, But Browned Butter is Best".

Brown-Braised Pearl Onions
Oignons Glacés á Brun

18-24 mixed Pearl Onions (white is preferred, but I thought this was fun)
1 1/2 TB Browned Butter (Beurre Noisette)
1 1/2 TB Olive Oil
1/2 cup Beef Stock
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 sprigs Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
1 Bay Leaf
2 sprigs of Thyme

Heat a Browned Butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Add the pearls and sauté for about 10 minutes until somewhat uniformly brown.

Add Beef stock and season with Salt and pepper; add the Herbs, cover and reduce heat to medium-low; over and simmer for 40-50 minutes, or until the onions are tender but still hold their shape.

Remove from the pan and set aside.

While the onions are simmering.......

Mushrooms Sautéed in Browned Butter
Champignons Sautés au Beurre Noisette

1 LB Fresh Mushrooms (again, I used Cremini; AKA Baby Bella, Italian Brown)
4 TB Browned Butter (Beurre Noisette)
1 1/2 TB Minced Shallot
Salt and Pepper to taste

Prepare the Mushrooms. Mine were pretty big so I quartered them instead of slicing. (They were gorgeous mushrooms)

These take about 4 batches to sauté properly, don't over crowd the pan, or they will not brown and will give up their liquid, steaming themselves and not actually sautéing.

For each batch, place 1 TB Browned Butter and 1/2 TB Olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat.
Add 1/4 of the Mushrooms and sauté until browned lightly. (They will get shiny at first, but they will brown after that)

Remove each batch and set aside until all 4 batches are sautéed.
Then add ALL the Mushrooms back to the pan along with the Shallot and Salt and Pepper, tossing for about 1 minute.

Remove from pan and set aside.

Bringing the whole Kit and Kaboodle together.....

The Pearl Onions should be completed, the Mushrooms should be completed, so now is the time to do a quick clean up and take about a 30 -45 minute nap before the Bourguignon is finished in the oven... LOL Please make sure that you wake up when the timer goes off though.

When the meat is tender, after about 2 1/2 hours, remove the casserole from the oven.

Pour off the wine/stock from the casserole to a small sauce pan and skim the fat off the top.
Add the Mushrooms and Pearl onions to the Beef/Vegetables.
Simmer the sauce for a few minutes, skimming any additional fat that rises, to reduce to about 2 1/2 cups. Last time I didn't have to do this, but I think the Corning ware made a tighter seal and I didn't loose as much moisture as I did with my casts iron pot.

Pour sauce over Beef and Vegetables.
Bring the whole thing back to a simmer for 2-3 minutes while occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the gravy-esque goodness.

And serve with Italian Parsley for color and Ciabatta Rolls to soak up the gravy goodness.


And once again, you have a big steaming bowl of Bovine Nirvana. I really have to hand it to Julia, I don't like beef, yet I just can't seem to get enough of this stuff.


Mangia!!
~~