ideas, tips for beef stroganoff

I made Stroganoff with grain fed veal and on another day with firm tofu.
Interestingly enough, my carnivore boys prefered the tofu version.

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From several old cookbooks and some trips to Russia I lean towards the belief that stroganoff is, within a large frame of “required ingredients” very much of an independent “wing it” recipe, akin to the large variations in, to name only one, crawfish etouffe. Over noodles appears to be a US invention: more “authentic” versions call for fried shoestring potatoes.
As a child outside NYC I grew up on a version similar to grillades: floured, pounded meat(sirloin was the call, chilled stiff and sliced thin) browned in butter, then the onions etc. Beef broth/wine went in but not much: the thin sliced beef did not need much…some Russian recipes merely tossed the raw, thin beef in butter scant moments before onion etc finished the base. The recipe of yore I knew then added some brewed coffee and only sour cream after simmer of, oh, ten minutes? The “elegant serving” put it over wild rice which is how I still make it. I thought the coffee touch might intrigue you.

Creme Fraiche is something I’ve used for years. I can get that closer to the real tang of Russian sour cream. The dill suggestion is sensible but might get lost. I’ve seen a judicious amount of lemon rind, as zest, tossed in. Background “sounding board” of mustard can work but I prefer not to get too complicated
And if I had excellent mushrooms, with serious flavor, I’d try not to shout those down with, say, mustard.

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