Application
Beef Stroganoff with Chokeberry Wine
Ingredients for preparation (2 servings)
- 300 g beef (preferably tenderloin, sirloin or boneless ribeye)
- 200 g mushrooms (preferably brown)
- 1 medium onion
- 1 small pickled cucumber
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
- 20 g butter
- 80 ml dry chokeberry wine
- 120 ml beef or vegetable stock
- 100 g sour cream 18%
- 1 teaspoon Sarepska or Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 level teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/3 teaspoon hot paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon wheat flour
- salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
- Pat the beef dry with a paper towel and cut it into thin strips across the grain. The strips should be roughly 0.5-1 cm thick. This will allow the meat to sear quickly and remain tender.
- Just before frying, sprinkle the meat with freshly ground pepper. Wait to add salt or add it immediately before putting the meat in the pan so it does not lose its juices.
- Cut the onion into thin wedges or small dice. Slice the mushrooms. Cut the pickled cucumber into thin strips or small dice. Finely chop the garlic.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan. When it is hot, add half of the meat and fry briefly, for approximately one minute on each side. The meat should be deeply browned but should not release a large amount of water. Transfer it to a plate and sear the second batch in the same way. At this stage, do not stew the meat. Boeuf Stroganoff should have juicy strips of beef, not tough, long-cooked pieces. The meat will return to the sauce only at the end of cooking.
- Melt the butter in the same pan. Add the onion and fry for 3-4 minutes over medium heat, until softened and slightly translucent.
- Then add the mushrooms and fry for 6-8 minutes, until the water has evaporated and the slices are lightly browned. At this point, you can add a pinch of salt.
- Add the garlic, sweet paprika, optionally hot paprika, and tomato paste to the mushrooms and onion. Fry for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Briefly frying the tomato paste and paprika will deepen the flavor of the sauce.
- Add 80 ml of dry chokeberry wine. Stir, scraping up all the browned bits left on the bottom of the pan from frying the meat and mushrooms. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the wine has partially evaporated and reduced slightly.
- Pour in the stock and stir. Cook the sauce for approximately 5 minutes over medium heat so the flavors can combine. If you want a thicker sauce, mix 1/2 teaspoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of cold water and add it to the sauce, stirring constantly.
- Stir the mustard into the sauce, then add the chopped pickled cucumber. Cook for another 2 minutes. The cucumber should accentuate the acidity of the dish without overpowering the sauce.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of the hot sauce from the pan to the sour cream and mix thoroughly in a separate bowl. Only then pour the prepared sour cream into the pan. This will ensure that the sauce is smooth and should prevent it from curdling.
- Reduce the heat to the minimum and stir the sauce for 2 minutes. Do not bring it to a vigorous boil after adding the sour cream, as it may lose its velvety consistency.
- Add the seared beef along with the juices that have collected on the plate. Heat everything for 2 minutes. With good-quality meat, this is enough for the beef strips to be warm, juicy, and tender.
- Taste the sauce. Add salt and freshly ground pepper. If the sauce seems too tart, you can add another half teaspoon of sour cream or a pinch of sugar.
Boeuf Stroganoff is best served immediately after preparation, when the sauce is hot, creamy, and freshly combined with the meat. Place a portion of pasta, buckwheat, or rice on a plate, then arrange the sauce with beef and mushrooms beside it or on top. Sprinkle everything with chopped parsley and a little freshly ground pepper. Pickled cucumber or a light sauerkraut salad can be served as a side.