Nikki's Famous Beef Stroganoff **

I have been eating Stroganoff since I was a kid.  My mom used to add tomato paste and I have no idea what else ;-)  I just remember it being pink in color.  Fast forward 10 years, a colleague gave me a recipe which called for dill and no paste but ketchup.  Hmmmm...I love dill and thought, brilliant!  It didn't take long, 1 recipe go around, to make my own recipe.  And here it is.  I really do simmer it for hours because I love tender meat.  And let's be honest....the smell in your kitchen is AMAZING!  

Servings: 4 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound ribeye steak, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-by-1/2-inch strips
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 8 or 16 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced (depends on how much you like mushrooms)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon fresh or dried dill
• 1 clove garlic, minced or more if you like garlic
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (to make GF, use GF flour 1:1)
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce OR Kitchen Bouquet
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth or beef stock
• 10 ounces medium or wide egg noodles
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives, plus more for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cooking the Beef:

Season the beef with 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, untouched, until starting to turn brown, about 1 minute. Use tongs to flip the pieces and continue cooking until deep golden brown but still under cooked in the center, about 1 minute (the beef will finish cooking in the sauce). Transfer the beef to a bowl and return the skillet to the stove-top on medium-high.

Cooking the Vegetables:

Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally to scrape up the browned bits in the pan, until the onions are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add another 2 tablespoons butter, the mushrooms and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally scraping up any browned bits, until the mushrooms have released some liquid and are starting to crisp up, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Cooking the Sauce:

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until incorporated. Fold in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Pour in the beef broth and stir until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.  

Simmering Beef and Sauce:

Fold the beef and any accumulated juices from the bowl into the sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is cooked through but still slightly pink on the inside, about 1 minute. Simmer for 1-2 hours for really tender beef. (At this point you can transfer into a crock pot and put on low for 4 hours or high for an hour if you'd like).  After simmering, add sour cream and dill, stir until blended. 

Cooking Noodles:

When ready to eat, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.  Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions for al dente. Drain and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the chopped parsley and chives.

Divide the noodles between 4 bowls and top with the sauce and beef. Sprinkle with more chives, if desired. 

Source: Me!