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!!
~~

For Folks With Yolks - Ye Olde Egg Noodles

In the wake of my latest Angel Food Cake marathon (Brown Sugar Angel Food Cake forthcoming, I promise) I have been left with a rather alarming quantity of yolks.  (sigh)

Over the years, because I LOVE Angel Food Cake, I have had to come up with ingenious ways to consume said yolks (10 to be exact).  Creme Brulee is always a winner, but tends to be a little much when one is in the middle of consuming a rather large 10-inch cake.  Lemon or Lime curd is always a great idea too, however the recipe only uses 3 yolks (as well as a couple of actual eggs) so one would have to make a triple batch and it doesn't freeze well.  But there is ONE thing that freezes very well, and is key to one of my favorite dishes.

Good olde Egg Noddles...  Which make an excellent base for Stroganov. (but that is tomorrow)

Thus armed with copious yolks, I decided to make an octuple batch of noodles to be packaged and stored in the freezer for whenever the mood for Chicken Noodle soup or afore mentioned Stroganov strikes.   The recipe below is not for the huge batch I made, but for a single batch that will produce 16 oz (1 lb) of noodles.

Egg Noodles

2 Cups (9 1/2 oz) (280 g) AP Flour
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
2 large Egg Yolks
1/4 cup Water

Whisk Flour and Salt together in a large bowl.

Whisk Water and Egg yolks together in a small bowl.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the Yolk/Water mixture.

Begin mixing with your fingers (yep, get those hands dirty) until a stiff dough is formed; if the dough seems a little stiff, go ahead and add a little more water, 1 tsp at a time, until the dough is workable.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

OK, normally, for a single batch, I would simply roll the dough out but since I am doing so much this time, I grab the kitchen aid attachments (both the roller and the fettuccine cutter)

After the dough has rested, cut it into manageable chunks (for a single batch, about 3 pieces)

Run it through your roller to level 4 (or roll to between 1/8th & 1/16th inch thick) then cut into 12 inch sections.

Cut noodles with a sharp knife to your favorite width or use a fettuccine cutter to cut your noodles.

Sprinkle liberally with flour to ensure they don't stick together and spread out on a baking sheet.

When all noodles have been cut, you are ready to go.

Now if you made a billion noodles (like I did) you need a few freezer bags sprinkled liberally with AP flour on the inside.

Measure out your chosen quantity of noodles.

Place them in the bag, then sprinkle more flour on top.

Once you have sealed the bag, go ahead and shake the bag gently to distribute the flour all over, then lay flat to freeze.

If boiling when fresh, they only take 3 minutes, if frozen they take about 10 minutes.

Tomorrow?  Stroganov!!!! 

Mangia!!
~~