Quick Beef Stroganoff Recipe
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
500g rump steak
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp paprika, plus extra for sprinkling
250g chestnut mushrooms
200ml beef stock
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
284ml carton soured cream
(1) Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan. (BBCF)
What butter? There’s no butter listed. I guessed and went with a knob of butter.
(2) Cook the sliced onion for 5 minutes until softened. Meanwhile cut the beef into thin strips. Season the flour with salt, pepper and paprika, then toss in the beef to coat lightly, shaking off any excess. (BBCF)
Before I started the onion I chopped my beef with my now desparately in need of sharpening kitchen scissors. I find scissors so much better than knives for cutting meat, don’t you? Anyway I then tried to tenderise it as I’d not bought one of the most expensive beef cuts and didn’t want to be chewing the meal all night. I mixed 1 tsp of Bicarbonate of Soda with 1 tbsp of water, mixed it with the beef and hoped for the best.
I was then another half an hour putting the week’s shopping away before I got back on with the onion so the beef mixture had a while to do its stuff. While my onion was softening I made my seasoned flour – how much paprika? I had to double check that bit! It sounded like rather a lot. I then rinsed the beef from the bicarb mixture and tried to dry it with kitchen towel. However when putting the what I thought was dry beef into the seasoned flour I got a right sticky mess so take note if you wash your meat – don’t do what I did – dry it better! I had no excess flour to shake off as it was all in a big goo so I carried on.
(3) Add the beef to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until starting to brown. (BBCF)
This was fairly easy when I’d unstuck each piece of beef from the goo pile!
(4) Halve the mushrooms, add to the pan and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Pour in the stock and vinegar, bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes. (BBCF)
I actually sliced my mushrooms (which I doubt were chestnut) as I prefer mine well cooked. I added the stock (made from an Oxo cube) and vinegar which smelled overpowering at first but didn’t taste of it later.
(5) Stir in the soured cream into the pan and cook gently for 1 minute, without boiling (if the mixture boils it will curdle), then season to taste. Spoon the stroganoff on to a bed of rice or noodles and sprinkle with a little extra paprika. (BBCF)
I did as instructed here as I’ve had cream curdle on me before so kept the temperature down. It took a while to get the cream mixed in and then I cooked it for the 1 minute. I checked the taste at the end and it didn’t need any more seasoning as it was hot, hot, hot.
TASTE ON TRIAL
Quick Beef Stroganoff
I’d made some rice to serve with my stroganoff so ladled it on. Simon loved the result despite having said “I hate Stroganoff” when he asked and was told what was for dinner. But then he does like hot, spicy things. The amount of paprika in this dish makes it very powerful – not spicy like a curry – but very peppery – a bit too much so for me.