Basic Beef Stroganoff

Basic Beef Stroganoff is one of those elegant dishes that I've seemed to always shy away from in the past.

But it's really easy to prepare in spite of the long list of ingredients.

Basic Beef Stroganoff Recipe

1/4 pound beef tenderloin
1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons butter
3 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups Beef Broth
3 tablespoons no-salt added tomato paste
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed, crumbled
1/2 cup sour cream

Put the meat in a freezer for 30 minutes for easier slicing. Slice the meat into thin strips about 2 inches long. Sprinkle with pepper.

Heat the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Sauté the mushrooms until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Sauté the onion in the same skillet until brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add to the mushrooms.

Add the meat to skillet and brown quickly on all sides to rare, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add to the mushrooms.

Add the flour to the skillet. Gradually pour in the broth, whisking constantly. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until thickened, whisking constantly.

Reduce the heat to low. Whisk in the remaining ingredients except the sour cream.

Stir in the mushrooms, onions, and meat. Cook for 15 minutes. Pour sour cream in a small amount of meat mixture. Add sour cream mixture to skillet and cook for 5 minutes, or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

This recipe calls for beef tenderloin, which is very expensive. If you like you can experiment with cheaper cuts of beef. But when it's party time and you're having guests for dinner use the tenderloin for this Basic Beef Stroganoff.