Steak Stroganoff

I wanted to make beef stroganoff the other night.  Chris suggested that we change it up and use a whole steak instead of the cut-up pieces of beef in a traditional stroganoff. 

Beef Stroganoff

1 2 1/2 pound beef tenderloin cut into 2 x 1 x 1/2 inch strips

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots

1 pound small button mushrooms, quartered

1 cup beef stock

2 tablespoons Cognac

3/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

12 ounces wide egg noodles

1 tablespoon paprika

The recipe calls for patting the meat dry with paper towels and them sprinkling it with salt and pepper.  Chris did this with the steak.  He heated oil in a heavy large pan until it was really hot.  He cooked the steak to medium-rare then moved it to a baking sheet.  The recipe calls for cooking the meat in a single layer, working in batches, for about a minute on each side, just until brown.  While he cooked the steak, I put a pot of water on to boil.

I drained the excess fat from the pan and then melted two tablespoons of butter in it over medium-high heat.  I added the shallots and sautéed them for a few minutes, scraping up the brown bits, until they were tender.  I added the mushrooms to the shallots.  I had large mushrooms so cut them into 6 pieces.  I sprinkled the mushrooms with pepper and sautéed them until most of the liquid evaporated, stirring them constantly to keep the shallots from burning.  This took about 12 minutes.

I added the beef stock (I had homemade) and the Cognac.  I simmered it until the liquid thickened, just coating the mushrooms.  The recipe calls for about 14 minutes, but Chris sped the process up by adding a slurry (an equal mixture of cornstarch and water).   I stirred in the sour cream and Dijon mustard.  The original recipe calls for adding the meat and any juices on the baking sheet to the sauce at this point and simmering it over medium-low heat until the meat is just heated, about two minutes.  I added the dill and seasoned the sauce with salt and pepper, tasting to make sure it was right.

While the sauce was cooking, I added the noodles to my boiling water, salty like the sea, to cook until they were tender, about eight minutes.  I drained the noodles and then added them to the sauce, stirring them until they were nicely coated.  I put a nice scoop of the noodles and sauce on top of the steak with asparagus on the side.  The recipe calls for putting the noodles into a bowl after draining them and tossing them with the remaining four tablespoons of butter until coated.  Pour the beef mixture over the noodles to serve, sprinkled with paprika (I forgot to use the paprika).

I was happy with how the dish came together.  It was a great steak with a lovely stroganoff feel.  The noodles absorbed a lot of the sauce so, while I really enjoyed their flavor, I missed some of the creaminess in the original.  I would definitely make it again this way, but I will also make the more traditional version as well.

Base recipe found on Epicurious.com.