Beef Stroganoff

Tempo

30 min

Picante

Dificuldade

Médio

Rende

4porções

Ingredientes

600g scotch fillet, boneless rib eye, alcatra, or contra-filé (Note: the dish forgives a budget cut if you "velvet" it Chinese-style — see Notes)

2 tbsp

vegetable oil, divided

large onion (or 2 small), sliced

300g mushrooms (cogumelo Paris ou portobello), sliced — not too thin

40g (3 tbsp) butter

2 tbsp

plain flour *(or middle-path: 1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in cold water, added at end)*

500ml beef stock, preferably salt-reduced

1 tbsp

Dijon mustard

150ml sour cream (creme azedo / sour cream brand at supermercado; or substitute thick Greek yogurt + 1 tsp lemon juice)

Salt and pepper

To serve

250-300g pasta or egg noodles (talharim wide noodles ideal; no spaghetti)

Chopped chives (cebolinha) for garnish

Modo de preparo

01**Flatten and slice meat.** Use your fist (or rolling pin or mallet) to flatten steaks to about **8mm thick**. Slice into **5mm strips** (cut long ones in half). Trim excess fat. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
02**Sear beef HARD in two batches.** Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over **high heat**. Scatter half the beef in the skillet. Spread quickly with tongs. **Leave untouched 30 seconds** until browned. Turn beef as best you can. **Leave untouched 30 seconds** to brown other side. Immediately remove to a plate. **Don't worry about pink/raw bits** — the beef finishes cooking in the sauce. Add the second tbsp oil; repeat with second half.
03**Build sauce in the same pan.** Turn heat down to medium-high. Add butter and let it melt, scraping up any browned bits. Add sliced onions; cook 1 minute, then add mushrooms.
04**Cook mushrooms until golden.** Stir occasionally. Scrape the bottom of the pan to lift all the brown fond — that's flavor.
05**Make gravy.** Sprinkle flour over, stir 1 minute. Pour in beef stock gradually, whisking. Add Dijon. Simmer 2-3 minutes until sauce coats the back of a spoon.
06**Finish.** Reduce heat to low. Stir in sour cream. **Don't boil** after adding sour cream — it can split. Return the beef and any juices. Cook just until heated through, ~30 seconds.
07**Plate over noodles.** Serve over hot egg noodles or pasta. Scatter chives.

Beef Stroganoff

The Russian-via-Anglosphere classic — strips of seared beef in a sour-cream and mushroom gravy, ladled over egg noodles. The whole thing is 30 minutes, but the technique matters: high-heat short sear on the meat, then a separate sauce, brought together at the end. Botched stroganoff stews the meat; correct stroganoff just barely cooks it.

Heat: 0/5. No chile.

Notes

The hard sear matters. Stroganoff is about juicy, slightly-pink interior beef. If you stew the strips in the sauce, they go gray and rubbery.
Velveting trick (for budget cuts): if using cheaper beef like coxão duro or músculo, slice as above, then toss with: 1 tsp baking soda + 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water. Rest 30 min. Rinse thoroughly. Pat dry. Sear as above. The baking soda alters the protein structure and gives surprisingly tender result.
Sour cream not crème fraîche. Both work but stroganoff is sour cream's signature dish. If you only have crème fraîche, fine; if only Greek yogurt, add 1 tsp lemon juice to mimic the tang.
Don't skip the mustard. Dijon brightens and deepens; tradition.
Variations: add a splash of brandy to the pan before stock (deglaze hard). Or add a tablespoon of paprika doce + a pinch of paprika defumada when sweating onions for a Hungarian-leaning version.
Wine: off-dry Riesling, or a soft-tannin red like Pinot Noir or Beaujolais.