Stroganoff: Difference between revisions

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! Amount !! Ingredient !! Notes
! Amount !! Ingredient !! Notes
|-
|-
| 16 oz || Fresh mushrooms || Sliced
| 16 oz || Cremini mushrooms || Sliced thick
|-
|-
| 2 || Onions || Diced
| 2 || Onions || Diced
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| 2 tbsp || Minced garlic ||  
| 2 tbsp || Minced garlic ||  
|-
|-
| 3/4 cup || Butter || Divided (1/2 cup for roux, 1/4 cup for sauté)
| 3/4 cup || Butter || Divided
|-
|-
| 1/2 cup || Flour || For the roux
| 1/2 cup || Flour ||  
|-
|-
| 6 cups || Beef broth ||  
| 1 tbsp || Tomato paste || '''(Flavor Boost)'''
|-
|-
| 2 tsp || Salt || Adjust to taste
| 1 tbsp || Dijon mustard || '''(Flavor Boost)'''
|-
|-
| 2 tbsp || Worcestershire sauce ||  
| 1/2 cup || Dry white wine || Or Brandy to deglaze
|-
| 6 cups || Beef broth || Low sodium preferred
|-
| 1 tsp || Smoked paprika ||  
|-
|-
| 4 1/2 cups || Sour cream ||  
| 4 1/2 cups || Sour cream ||  
|-
|-
| 6 cups || Egg noodles || Homemade and cooked
| 1/4 cup || Fresh parsley & Dill || Chopped for garnish
|-
| 6 cups || Egg noodles || Homemade
|-
|-
| 1 lb+ || Ribeye steak || Pre-cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
| 1 lb+ || Ribeye steak || Pre-cooked
|}
|}


== Directions ==
== Directions ==
# '''Prepare Roux:''' Melt 1/2 cup butter, whisk in flour. Cook 2 mins until blonde. Set aside.
# '''Sauté & Umami:''' In a pot, melt 1/4 cup butter. Sauté onions until soft. Add garlic, mushrooms, and '''tomato paste'''. Cook until mushrooms are dark and the paste is "rusty" red.
# '''Deglaze:''' Pour in the wine/brandy. Scrape the bottom of the pot until the liquid is almost evaporated.
# '''Simmer:''' Add broth, mustard, paprika, and salt. Bring to a low simmer.
# '''Thicken:''' Whisk in the roux gradually until the gravy is glossy and thick.
# '''Temper:''' Remove from heat. Whisk a ladle of sauce into the sour cream, then stir the mixture back into the pot.
# '''Finish:''' Fold in the ribeye and '''fresh herbs'''. Serve over noodles.


=== 1. Prepare the Blonde Roux ===
== Chef's Notes & Troubleshooting ==
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt '''1/2 cup''' of the butter. Gradually whisk in the flour until a smooth paste forms. Continue cooking for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it smells slightly nutty but remains pale (blonde roux). Remove from heat and set aside.


=== 2. Aromatics and Mushrooms ===
=== The Science of the "Fond" ===
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt the remaining '''1/4 cup''' of butter over medium heat. Add the diced onions and sauté until translucent (about 5 minutes). Stir in the garlic and sliced mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid and turned golden brown.
When you sauté the mushrooms and tomato paste, you will see brown bits sticking to the bottom of your pot. This is called the '''fond''' (French for "base"). Do not wash this away! When you add the wine or brandy (deglazing), you are dissolving those caramelized proteins back into the liquid, which provides the deep, savory "umami" flavor that distinguishes a professional stroganoff from a basic one.


=== 3. Build the Sauce Base ===
=== Why We Temper the Sour Cream ===
Pour in the beef broth, salt, and Worcestershire sauce. Increase the heat slightly to bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.


=== 4. Thicken ===
Sour cream is an emulsion of fat and water. If you drop cold sour cream directly into boiling broth, the proteins will tighten instantly and separate from the fat, resulting in a grainy, "broken" sauce. By whisking a bit of hot broth into the sour cream first, you gently raise its temperature, ensuring a silky, velvety finish.
While whisking the simmering broth constantly, add the prepared roux one tablespoon at a time. Continue to simmer for 1–2 minutes; the sauce will thicken as the flour starches activate.  


=== 5. Temper and Finish ===
=== Selecting the Right Ribeye ===
'''Crucial:''' Turn the heat to low. To prevent curdling, stir a ladleful of the hot broth into your sour cream bowl to warm it up (tempering) before adding the '''4 1/2 cups''' of sour cream into the pot. Stir until the sauce is velvety and uniform. Do not allow the sauce to reach a hard boil after the sour cream is added.
Since you are using pre-cooked Ribeye, ensure you only add it at the very end. Ribeye is highly marbled; if you boil it in the sauce for too long, the fat will render out completely and the meat may become tough. You only want to "bathe" the meat in the sauce long enough to reach serving temperature.


=== 6. Combine and Serve ===
=== Storage and Reheating ===
Gently fold in the pre-cooked ribeye pieces and allow them to warm through in the sauce for 2 minutes. Serve immediately over a generous bed of homemade egg noodles.
* '''Storage:''' This recipe keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
* '''Reheating:''' Because of the high sour cream content, avoid the microwave if possible. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of beef broth if the gravy has thickened too much in the fridge. Do not let it boil.

Revision as of 13:15, 21 December 2025


Ingredients

Amount Ingredient Notes
16 oz Cremini mushrooms Sliced thick
2 Onions Diced
2 tbsp Minced garlic
3/4 cup Butter Divided
1/2 cup Flour
1 tbsp Tomato paste (Flavor Boost)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard (Flavor Boost)
1/2 cup Dry white wine Or Brandy to deglaze
6 cups Beef broth Low sodium preferred
1 tsp Smoked paprika
4 1/2 cups Sour cream
1/4 cup Fresh parsley & Dill Chopped for garnish
6 cups Egg noodles Homemade
1 lb+ Ribeye steak Pre-cooked

Directions

  1. Prepare Roux: Melt 1/2 cup butter, whisk in flour. Cook 2 mins until blonde. Set aside.
  2. Sauté & Umami: In a pot, melt 1/4 cup butter. Sauté onions until soft. Add garlic, mushrooms, and tomato paste. Cook until mushrooms are dark and the paste is "rusty" red.
  3. Deglaze: Pour in the wine/brandy. Scrape the bottom of the pot until the liquid is almost evaporated.
  4. Simmer: Add broth, mustard, paprika, and salt. Bring to a low simmer.
  5. Thicken: Whisk in the roux gradually until the gravy is glossy and thick.
  6. Temper: Remove from heat. Whisk a ladle of sauce into the sour cream, then stir the mixture back into the pot.
  7. Finish: Fold in the ribeye and fresh herbs. Serve over noodles.


Chef's Notes & Troubleshooting

The Science of the "Fond"

When you sauté the mushrooms and tomato paste, you will see brown bits sticking to the bottom of your pot. This is called the fond (French for "base"). Do not wash this away! When you add the wine or brandy (deglazing), you are dissolving those caramelized proteins back into the liquid, which provides the deep, savory "umami" flavor that distinguishes a professional stroganoff from a basic one.

Why We Temper the Sour Cream

Sour cream is an emulsion of fat and water. If you drop cold sour cream directly into boiling broth, the proteins will tighten instantly and separate from the fat, resulting in a grainy, "broken" sauce. By whisking a bit of hot broth into the sour cream first, you gently raise its temperature, ensuring a silky, velvety finish.

Selecting the Right Ribeye

Since you are using pre-cooked Ribeye, ensure you only add it at the very end. Ribeye is highly marbled; if you boil it in the sauce for too long, the fat will render out completely and the meat may become tough. You only want to "bathe" the meat in the sauce long enough to reach serving temperature.

Storage and Reheating

  • Storage: This recipe keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Reheating: Because of the high sour cream content, avoid the microwave if possible. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of beef broth if the gravy has thickened too much in the fridge. Do not let it boil.
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