"The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size."
~ Gertrude S. Wister
PERFECT BEEF STROGANOFF
"Beef is the soul of cooking."
~ Marie Antoine Careme
_________________
3 pounds beef tenderloin
6 Tbsp. butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 pound (1/4 inch sliced) fresh mushrooms
3 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. meat-extract paste
1 Tbsp. ketchup
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) organic beef stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh dill (1 heaping tsp. dried dill weed)
1 1/2 cup sour cream
2 12-ounce fresh or dried spinach noodles
(or 2 cups cooked wild rice tossed with 4 cups cooked white)
additional fresh snipped dill or parsley
- Trim fat from beef. Cut filet crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Cut each slice, across grain into 1/2-inch thick strips. Season with salt and pepper.
- Slowly heat large heavy skillet. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter and just enough beef strips to cover skillet bottom. Over high heat, sear quickly on all sides. Remove with tongs as it browns (should be rare inside) and set aside. Continue until all strips are browned.
- In remaining hot butter in same skillet, saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms until onion is golden - about 5 minutes.
- Over low heat, add wine, snipped dill, and sour cream, stirring until well combined. Add beef; simmer just until sauce and beef are hot.
- Serve Stroganoff with spinach noodles or rice. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. dill or parsley over top.
~ Uncork a light Merlot or Pinot Noir and enjoy!
Note: "The dish hails from beautiful Saint Petersburg, where a culinary competition was once held in Czarist times, and where, in the 1890s, an intrepid chef concocted a mouth-watering creation of beef, mushrooms and sour cream, and took home the first prize.
The chef was in the employ of a noble family of considerable rank in Russia and named the dish in honor of his patron, Count PavelAlexandrovich Stroganov. The Stroganov family was rich beyond belief. At one time, they had 155,000 serfs on land that amounted to almost 6.5 million acres. One twist on the story is that the dish was designed specifically for the Count because he had lost his teeth and could no longer chew through a typical steak."
Won't be long now! 13 days 'til spring ...
Comments
Bright and cheery collages as always. And I covet every garden plaque and ornament. And I might as well steal the stew recipe while I'm at it.
This might be a nice adult dish for them now. Thanks,
Eileen
Hi Donna and thank you. Yes, not long now ... 13 days ... I look back and see what will be blooming in a month and getting very excited ... Right now, seeing patches of good earth through the white snow is a simple joy.
A good old retro-dish to dine on while weather is still cool, Eileen. This is one of the first company dishes I worked on when first married ... love the flavor on the spinach noodles. Even back then, I was always experimenting!
'hugs from afar'
Hi, dear Gail and thank you. Those are indeed Johnny Jump Ups. They never seem to return so I always purchase more in the spring for containers. Spring would not be spring without those cuties.
Welcome home, Kate. Yes, a long winter indeed! Technically, just a few more days until spring. Yippee!
Welcome Cher. Thank you for introducing yourself, always a delight to meet another Michigan gardener/photographer.
The garden quote is so true--I'm looking forward to any kind of tiny bloom emerging in my garden this month.
Thanks for sharing. Your photos are amazing!
(pop over to see my Header Post)
Thank you, Carolyn. I'm certainly getting anxious for spring!
Thank you, imac, my friend. (Great header)
And Big spring hugs to you, dear Kathryn. Enjoy the sweet breath of spring ... we are still under a blanket of snow.
I come to your blog by chance, it is wonderful! Your photos are very beautiful and I also like the mosaics, congratulations!
See you soon and good night from Belgium!
Laurence
Welcome, Laurence, and thank you. Please do return ... your site is also very lovely, a joy to visit.
Hi, Robin, and thank you. Enough is enough of this snow! Hopefully it will warm up a bit this week but I bet there will be more snow ... I have photos of tulips and blooming forsythia covered with snow ...