September arrived feeling a lot more like August, at least around about here; but I know the cooler weather is coming, and what better way to warm up a cool evening than a rich, satisfying batch o’ Beef Stroganoff?
It is one if Rich’s favorite dinners, but we try not to have it to often because, well… beef, sour cream, butter, bacon fat, egg noodles.
Still… it is pretty darned tasty, and one does want something hearty when it turns chilly.
INGREDIENTS
Seasoned Flour:
•1 cup flour
•1 tsp garlic powder
•1 tsp onion powder
•1 tsp paprika
•1 tsp black pepper
•1 tsp Aleppo pepper
•1/2 tsp sea salt
•1/2 tsp celery salt
•1/4 tsp ground ginger
Stroganoff:
•1 lb sliced ‘shrooms
•1 sweet onion, diced
•2 cloves garlic, diced
•1-1/2 to 2 lb stew meat, cubed
•3 cups chicken stock
•1 tbsp + 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
•1 tbsp + 2 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce*
•1 tbsp + 1 tsp Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Pepper Sauce**
•1 or 2 bay leaves
•Black pepper
•Aleppo Pepper
•1 or 2 cups sour cream
*This is really easy to make, but if you’d rather not, try a bit of sherry or brandy, and mebbe up the amount of hot sauce and/or Worcestershire added.
**OR, use your own preferred hot sauce.
Melt a tablespoon of butter with some bacon fat in a large skillet over medium high heat, then add the onion and garlic and sauté for five minutes.
Add another tablespoon of butter, the ‘shrooms and a tablespoon each of Worcestershire and Cajun Power Spicy Garlic sauces and continue sautéeing until the ‘shrooms are browned and have released a fair amount of liquid. Add one tablespoon of the seasoned flour, stirring to blend in, then continue to cook until the ‘shrooms are slightly crispity around the edges and any cooking liquid has thickened up.
Transfer the onion and ‘shroom mixture to a bowl and set aside.
Dredge the stew meat in 1/4 cup of the seasoned flour (save the remaining seasoned flour in a covered container for other recipes), then melt 1 tbsp of bacon fat with 2 tbsp olive oil in the skillet.
Add the meat and cook for three or four minutes per side, until all sides are browned with some crispity bits.
Add two cups of chicken stock, two tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, one tablespoon Sherry Peppers Sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the liquid has mostly reduced. About 25 minutes.
Add the remaining chicken stock, another tablespoon each of Worcestershire and Sherry Peppers, and the onion and ‘shroom mixture. Stir in freshly ground black pepper to taste, a teaspoon or so of Allepo pepper, and a bay leaf.
Bring back to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
Give it a taste. Yes? No? I thought it had just about the right bit of peppery bite that we like, but still needed a tad more flavor, so I added another tablespoon of Worcestershire along with an extra teaspoon of Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Pepper Sauce and cooked for another five minutes or so.
Taste?
Nice – now, for the big finish!
Reduce the heat to low and stir in a cup or two of sour cream.
Cover the pan and heat gently, stirring every now and then, until the Stroganoff is heated through.
Serve over buttered egg noodles tossed with poppy seeds and another couple of grinds of good black pepper.
A fine dish, for any season, really.