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Russian beef stroganoff is one of the country’s most beloved food exports.
This creamy dish is ideal to try if you’re looking for new and delicious ways to cook beef you have at home.
What is Russian Beef Stroganoff?
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Beef Stroganoff, simply, is a wholesome dish of sauteed beef and smetana, a type of sour cream made in Central and Eastern Europe.
This rich and creamy food is named after the wealthy Russian Stroganov family, as it was first cooked by their private chefs in the late 1800s.
Today Beef Stroganoff is popular all over the world. The recipe has evolved to include various spices, mushrooms, and other ingredients.
What do you serve the Beef Stroganoff with? The beauty of this dish is in its versatility.
I personally love the Beef Stroganoff with mashed potatoes, while my husband loves it with pasta or rice. Take your pick of sides – you can’t go wrong with any of them.
Russian Beef Stroganoff Ingredients
First, assemble all the ingredients. We’ll need the following:
- Sirloin Beef* (1.1 lb or 500 grams)
- Mushrooms (1/2 lb or 225 grams), sliced
- Crème fraîche or Russian sour cream (25% fat)** (1/2 cup or 120 grams)
- Fresh heavy cream (10%) (1/3 cup or 80 ml)
- Butter (3.5 tbsp or 50 grams)
- Onion (one medium), thinly sliced
- Sunflower oil (2 tbsp or 30 ml)
- Cognac*** (3.5 tbsp or 50 ml)
- Mustard (1 teaspoon)
- Nutmeg (a dash)
- Black ground pepper (to taste)
- Salt (to taste)
* You can use other types of steaks for Beef Stroganoff, such as ribeye, flank, or rump steak but, in my opinion, sirloin tastes best.
** Russian sour cream is different from the one available in the United States. The closest substitute is crème fraîche. In a pinch though, you can use sour cream or plain yogurt. Don’t use any sour cream or yogurt that is low fat though, as it doesn’t make a good sauce and it may also cause the sauce to split.
*** You can substitute the cognac with any kind of brandy or replace it with beef stock if you don’t have any or prefer not to use alcohol in the recipe.
Russian Beef Stroganoff Step-by-Step Recipe
Before we start cooking, make sure you’ve prepped your ingredients. Take the crème fraîche and heavy cream out of the refrigerator and let them come up to room temperature. Thinly slice the onion. Clean the mushrooms and slice them.
Now, using a meat mallet, tenderize the meat.If you don’t have a meat tenderizer or mallet, you can just use your fist.
Next, cut the beef into 1/2 inch(1 cm)-wide slices, and add a dash of salt and pepper.
Preheat a pan over high heat and add 1 tbsp of sunflower oil. Add half of the meat slices and cook each side for about 1 minute until browned on the outside but still pink on the inside.
Remove the cooked beef strips to a plate.
And now, add the remaining tablespoon of sunflower oil to the pan and cook the remaining half of the beef strips for about 1 minute until browned on the outside but still pink on the inside.
Set aside the beef strips on a plate, and we can move on to the sauce.
For the sauce:
Turn the heat on the pan down to low, and add the butter.
Add the thinly-sliced onion and cook for about 1 minute. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until golden brown.
Add the cognac (or beef stock) to the pan. Simmer until the liquid thickens.
After that, add the fresh cream, nutmeg, mustard, and crème fraîche, and cook for 2 more minutes with the lid on.
After that, add the meat (and the accumulated meat juices) to the pan, and simmer this mixture for 2-3 more minutes on a low flame or until the beef is cooked to your taste.
Let it cool a touch, season it to taste with salt and pepper, and serve it over mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, or noodles.
Приятного аппетита! Enjoy your Meal!
Beef Stroganoff has a beautiful light and creamy color, from the beef juices and sour cream mixing together.
On a bed of creamy, golden mash potato, this dish looks utterly divine.
The combination of the succulent beef and creamy cognac sauce makes for quite a tasty dinner.
Russian Beef Stroganoff Recipe
Russian Beef Stroganoff
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Ingredients
- Sirloin Beef (1.1 lb or 500 grams) (note 1)
- Mushrooms (1/2 lb or 225 grams), sliced
- Crème fraîche or Russian sour cream (25% fat) (1/2 cup or 120 grams)(note 2)
- Fresh heavy cream (10%) (1/3 cup or 80 ml)
- Butter (3.5 tbsp or 50 grams)
- Onion (one medium), thinly sliced
- Sunflower oil (2 tbsp or 30 ml)(note 3)
- Cognac (3.5 tbsp or 50 ml)(note 4)
- Mustard (1 teaspoon)
- Nutmeg (a dash)
- Black ground pepper (to taste)
- Salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients. Thinly slice the onion. Clean the mushrooms and slice them. Take the creme fraiche and heavy cream out of the refrigerator and let them come up to room temperature.
- Using a meat mallet, tenderize the meat.If you don’t have a meat tenderizer or mallet, you can just use your fist.
- Cut the beef into 1/2 inch(1 cm)-wide slices, and add a dash of salt and pepper.
- Preheat a pan over high heat and add 1 tbsp of sunflower oil. Add half of the meat slices and cook each side for about 1 minute until browned on the outside but still pink on the inside. Remove the cooked beef strips to a plate.
- Repeat step 4 with the remaining half of the beef strips. Remote the beef strips, and set aside on a plate.
- Turn the heat down to low, and add the butter to the pan.
- Add the thinly-sliced onion to the pan with the melted butter, and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook until golden brown.
- Add the cognac to the pan. Simmer until the liquid thickens.
- Add the fresh cream, nutmeg, mustard, and creme fraiche, and cook for 2 more minutes with the lid on.
- Add the meat (and the accumulated meat juices) back to the pan, and simmer this mixture for 2-3 more minutes on a low flame (or until the beef is cooked to your taste)
- Let it cool a touch, season it to taste with salt and pepper, and serve it over mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, or noodles.
- Приятного аппетита! Enjoy your Meal!
Notes
- You can use other types of steaks for Beef Stroganoff, such as ribeye, flank, or rump steak but, in my opinion, sirloin tastes best.
- Russian sour cream is different from the one available in the United States. The closest substitute is crème fraîche. In a pinch though, you can use sour cream or plain yogurt. Don't use any sour cream or yogurt that is low fat though, as it doesn't make a good sauce and it may also cause the sauce to split.
- You can use vegetable oil or olive oil instead of sunflower oil.
- You can substitute the cognac with any kind of brandy or replace it with beef stock if you don't have any cognac/brandy or prefer not to use it.
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Author:Doina Johnson is a content writer and creator, who has traveled to over 30 countries. She is passionate about trying new foods and loves to make foods she has tried on her travels in her home kitchen.
Contributor:Anastasiya Tikhonova is a Russian copywriter and translator. When not translating texts, she writes on a number of topics relating to her home country, including Russian food and top destinations.
Nomad Paradise Hey there! We are Dale and Doina, the founders of Nomad Paradise. We traveled full-time for over three years, and while we now have a home base in the U.K., continue to take trips abroad to visit new places and try new cuisines and foods. Our food guides are curated with the guidance of local foodies, and their contribution is indicated under each article. We also cook the foods we try abroad, and you can discover how to make them in our 'recipes from around the world' category. View all posts
