Amazingly Creamy Beef Stroganoff
Submitted by westlida
Creamy beef stroganoff with sirloin filet, sauteed mushrooms, blanched pearl onions, and a rich creme fraiche sauce spiked with Dijon, paprika, and demi-glace. Restaurant-style dinner over buttered noodles.
YIELD
18 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
55 minREADY
80 minThis is the classic French-influenced version of stroganoff, built on creme fraiche instead of sour cream. Creme fraiche has a higher fat content and won’t break under heat the way sour cream does, which is why the sauce stays glossy and pourable from start to finish.
The sauce simmers on its own for 20 minutes to reduce and concentrate, with Dijon mustard sharpening the cream and a teaspoon of demi-glace adding the deep, beefy backbone you usually only get at a steakhouse. Tomato paste and Worcestershire round out the savory layer behind the paprika.
Every component cooks separately. Mushrooms get sauteed in butter until golden, pearl onions are blanched then browned, and the sirloin filet sears quickly in batches over high heat. Combining everything at the end keeps the beef tender and the vegetables distinct instead of stewing into one texture.
Pro Tips
- Slice the beef across the grain on the diagonal and keep pieces thin so they cook in under 2 minutes per batch.
- Don’t crowd the skillet when searing. Cook in batches so the meat browns instead of steams.
- Make through the searing step several hours ahead and reheat gently to finish, just as the directions suggest.
- Serve the sauce barely simmering. Boiling hard will eventually break even creme fraiche.
Variations
- Add 2 tablespoons of brandy or cognac to the sauce for a deeper, slightly sweet finish.
- Swap pearl onions for shallots if blanching feels fussy.
- Serve over rice or wide egg noodles, garnished with a side of sauteed cherry tomatoes.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine creme fraiche, mustard, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, pepper to taste, and demiglace in a medium-size saucepan and simmer slowly for 20 minutes, or until sauce is slightly reduced.
Remove from heat and let stand, covered, while completeing recipe. Trim stem ends off mushrooms and discard. Wipe mushrooms with a damp paper towel and slice thin.
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium sized skillet and sauté mushrooms until tender and golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.
Cut a small X in the root end of each pearl onion. Bring a large kettle of water to a boil and drop in the onions. Blanch for 10 minutes, drain, and rinse under cold running water.
Peel the onions. Heat another 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet and saut? the onions, stirring and shaking the skillet often, until they are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
Transfer the onions to the bowl with the mushrooms. Cut the meat into thin slices on the diagonal.
Heat remaining butter in the skillet and saut? the pieces of filet over high heat until just lightly browned. Transfer pieces to a plate as each batch is browned.
Recipe can be prepared to this point several hours before serving.
To complete, set sauce over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add mushrooms, onions and any accumulated juices from the bowl, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add slices of filet and any accumulated juices and simmer until the meat is heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately over buttered noodles.
Garnish with chopped parsley. Garnish side with sautéed cherry tomatoes and pour a good red wine.
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