This was one of my favorite dishes as a kid, a less-expensive version of the classic dish created and named for a Count Stroganov in late 19th-century Russia. Very popular in America during the 60s and 70s, the original recipe for Beef Stroganoff called for thin sliced of pricey beef fillet. Although my mom used meatballs instead, it seemed luxurious to me. Eventually my mom (and my aunt Jean and my grandmother) stopped making it, maybe because it finally seemed too old fashioned. By the time I wanted to demonstrate it on my show, Beef Stroganoff was so antique that none of my relatives could come up with a recipe and all I remembered of it were the bouillon cubes, tomato paste and cultivated mushrooms. When I re-created the recipe, I lost the bouillon cubes (too chemical-tasting to me now) and the tomato paste but kept the cultivated mushrooms although you would get a more elegant dish if you used such flavorful mushrooms as shiitakes or chanterelles. The ground beef of choice is chuck because it has the most flavor (and the most fat, too, alas). If you want to make a lighter version of this dish, you can substitute ground sirloin or ground round and low-fat sour cream.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chuck
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra, for seasoning
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra, for seasoning
- 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 pound cultivated white mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Directions
Combine the chuck, half of the chopped onion, the garlic, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, egg yolks, and water in a large bowl. Mix well and form meatballs that measure about 1-inch in diameter. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook, shaking and turning, until well browned, about 5 minutes. Don't crowd the pan; work in batches, if necessary. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Pour off any excess fat from the skillet, leaving 3 tablespoons in the pan and add the remaining onion. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the liquid they give off has evaporated, 7 to 10 minutes. Pour in the sherry, increase the heat to high, and boil until almost all the liquid they give off has evaporated. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil.
Rub the butter with the flour in a small bowl until it forms a smooth paste. Pinch off pea-sized pieces and add little by little to the boiling sauce, whisking constantly for 3 minutes. Add the meatballs, stir in the dill, and sour cream, season with salt and pepper, and cook over low heat until the meatballs are just heated through. Serve hot.
















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By aprilgonzalez
New Orleans
on May 03, 2013
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I will make this again, except for adding onions to the meatball mixture. When frying the meatballs, the onions began to stick to the skillet and burn. As a result, the final product had a burnt taste. The sauce was excellent and I used portobello mushroom and white wine as opposed to cooking sherry.
By Snowbaby205
Woodridge, IL
on January 28, 2013
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My husband dislike ground beef and so, I thought, I should make this version of beef stroganoff instead. I had a 96% lean ground beef and was afraid the meatballs would turn out tough and dry. Well, the meatballs turned out juicy and flavorful! In addition, due to my habit of "healthy eating", I baked the meatballs in the oven, at 400 degrees for 25 minutes instead of browning it in oil. I sautéed the veggies with butter, put in the flour and then the wine and then beef stock. The sauce turned out good and the whole dish turned out pretty good! Give it a try, you might like it! Happy Eating! :
By jm1001
on November 13, 2012
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This is a very good version of stroganoff, and you don't have to spend a ton of $$ on a prime cut of beef. My kids LOVE the meatballs. I made a few changes to the recipe that I think made it even better (in my humble opinion. I used a mixture of mushrooms - button, cremini and reconstituted shitake. I reconstituted the shitake in the chicken stock to make it a little more flavorful. I also used creme fraiche instead of sour cream. The sauce is the perfect thickness, and has a rich velvety texture. Served over hot rice and with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts!
Read all 36 reviews