Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Beef Stroganoff

I haven't made pasta in a while and with my new America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, I was looking for a pasta to make during my Christmas holiday break. I didn't want the typical tomato / Alfredo pasta, but something different. I came across this Beef Stroganoff recipe and it was surely different than your typical pasta - strips of beef tenderloin with a red wine reduction, all on top of egg noodles.


This turned out alright. I can't say it was great mainly because of faults of my own:


1) I overcooked the beef so it was not as tender as I wanted it to be. 
2) I did not have enough sauce for the pasta I made due to the following reasons:
    - I used all the pasta in that bag (which is a little bit more than what the recipe asked for)
    - I used canned mushrooms (which was sitting in the kitchen cabinet and I so wanted to just         
      get rid of it) instead of fresh mushrooms, which probably contributed to...  
    - Not having enough sauce; my red wine reduction was not sufficient since I felt I didn't have   
      enough accumulated juices from the beef and mushrooms (because they were canned)                                                                                                                                                            
      

Beef Stroganoff - adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
Serves 4

Ingredients
  • Salt & pepper
  • 8 ounces egg noodles (3 cups)
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 12 ounces white button mushrooms, trimmed and halved
  • 12 ounces beef tenderloin, cut into 1/8-inch strips
  • 3/4 cup dry red wine
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1 1/2 tsps brown sugar
  • 1 tsp tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup sour cream



Instructions
1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 Tbsp salt and the noodles and cook, stirring often, until they are almost tender but still firm to the bite. Drain the noodles, then return to the pot and toss with 2 Tbsps of the butter. Cover to keep warm.


2. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 tsps salt and cook until lightly browned, about 5 mins, then transfer to a bowl.

3. Pat the beef dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the beef, about 5 minutes, then transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms.


4. Add 1/4 cup of the wine to the skillet and return to medium heat. Simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until syrupy, about 1 minute. Transfer the wine to the bowl with the mushrooms and beef.


5. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the onion, brown sugar, and tomato paste and cook until the onion is slightly browned, about 5 minutes.


6. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the broth and remaining 1/2 cup of wine and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.


7. Add any accumulated juices from the mushrooms and beef. Stir about 1/2 cup of the sauce into the sour cream, then stir the sour cream mixture into the sauce (this is done because sour cream can curdle if added directly to hot liquid). Add the mushrooms and beef and let warm through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 


8. Serve over the warm buttered egg noodles.


I would've been really happy with the Beef Stroganoff if I made the beef more tender and with more sauce :( Oh well, next time. I can't give up on a dish with such a cool name.