Beef Stroganoff

Stroganoff is one of those dishes that I grew up making one way, only to find out you can make it an entirely different way only a short time ago. Beef tenderloin as the meat source? That still boggles my mind, as I would never use such an expensive cut of meat in a dish that I consider old fashioned home cooking. But maybe that's just me being cheap. I also tried the revamped recipe from Cook's Illustrated, which used sirloin tip (a somewhat cheaper cut), but surprisingly I did not like their recipe at all. Odd, I thought to myself, rarely do I not enjoy a recipe from ATK. Well, as it turns out, it just was not for me.

So I decided to go back to my dad's recipe, which I took, molded to my own liking (only slightly, I promise, his recipe is delicious), and made that instead. I use stew meat (or sliced chuck), which is a bit more tough but braises very well. Here's the result.

Beef Stroganoff

1 pound lean beef stew meat (you can use chuck roast as well cut into 1 inch cubes)
1 onion, half sliced and half minced
2 whole garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 can low sodium beef stock or consume
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup flour
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
12 ounces cooked egg noodles
Sour cream
Parsley, chopped (optional)

In a crock-pot add beef, onion, garlic thyme, bay leaf, beef stock, and water. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove beef and set aside. Strain liquid, reserving in a large bowl.

Heat a pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the butter. Add onions, cooking for about 2 minutes or until soft. Add mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the mushrooms have released most of their liquid and start to brown. Add flour and stir to coat. Add cooking liquid and stir constantly, bringing the liquid to a simmer, then season with salt and pepper. Once it starts to thicken add the Worcestershire, cayenne, and the beef. Cover, turn heat to low and cook for 20-30 minutes. Add tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Serve over egg noodles with a dollop of sour cream on top and some chopped parsley.

Note- if the sauce is too thick, add a bit of water or beef stock to thin it out (this will vary depending on cooking time). If too thin, mix a small amount of corn starch with water and add to thicken.