My mother-in-law’s recipe for beef stroganoff (see photo below) takes up to two hours to cook. It’s great if you have a tougher cut like topside (top round). It also, non-traditionally, doesn’t use mustard.

Or, you can try my quick beef stroganoff! I use a better cut of meat that is seared at the beginning, and added back into the sauce at the end. My mother-in-law used cream. But I use the more traditional sour cream, which is best stirred in toward the end of these types of dishes, anyway. I use the garlic and tomato paste of my mother-in-law’s recipe, as I find they add a depth of flavour.

The origins of beef stroganoff appear to be a meld of French and Russian traditions, with a couple of theories as to the exact origins, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Back in 1871, a recipe for “Beef à la Stroganov, with mustard” was published in Russia A Gift to Young Housewives (Stroganov = Russian; Stroganoff = French spelling), which just used mustard and broth.

I just love that it’s creamy, tasty, and has mushrooms.

If you’d like to try another of my mother-in-law’s recipes, here’s her foolproof beef casserole.

Mother-in-law’s long-cook version. One dessert spoon is equal to 2 tablespoons. 1.5 pounds = 680 grams. 4 ounces= 113 grams

“You can’t use ‘beef stew’ as a password, because it’s not stroganoff.”
-Internet

Ingredients

500-600 g quality beef, such as rib eye or rump, sliced thinly
olive oil

Sauce

40 g butter
½ onion, chopped
120 g mushrooms, sliced not too thinly so there's a bit of chew
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp plain flour
2 cups beef stock
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Dijon mustard (traditionally this would be the main spice, you can add another tsp or so to taste)
1 bay leaf
⅔-1 cup sour cream (start with ⅔ & add if you like a creamier texture)
salt pepper

Instructions

If serving with pasta, now's a good time to put it on to boil.
Quickly sear the beef in deep saucepan until just brown. Better to undercook than overcook at this point. You may have to do this in batches. About 30 seconds. Remove from pan and set aside. You will use any juices that form.
To the same pan, add butter and onion. Cook until transparent.
Add in mushrooms and cook until they are softened and browned. Salt lightly at this point. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add flour to mushroom mix and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or more, until flour is well-incorporated and there is no flour smell.
Add a cup of the stock, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens.
Add remaining stock, tomato paste, mustard and bay leaf, bring to boil and lower heat.
Simmer for a minute. Add in sour cream and mix thoroughly to incorporate. Cook for another five minutes or so as sauce thickens.
Add beef back in, including any juices that have formed and simmer for another minute, until meat is warmed through.
Season. Remove bay leaf before serving with pasta, noodles, potatoes, rice. Add a crisp salad or slaw on the side if you like.

Hello!

Quick Beef Stroganoff