Beef stroganoff recipe

This beef stroganoff combines quickly fried beef with mushrooms, pepper and pickled cucumbers in a creamy sauce. Serve it with bread, rice or grains.

Ingredients

600 g beef suitable for quick frying
300 g button mushrooms
1 onion
2 fermented pickled cucumbers
1 bell pepper
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
300 ml stock
100 ml cooking cream, 18% fat
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Salt and pepper

Method

Cut the beef into thin strips and slice the mushrooms. Cut the onion, pepper and cucumbers into strips.
Heat the oil and sear the beef briefly in batches over high heat. Transfer to a plate.
In the same pan, fry the onion, mushrooms and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste and paprika, then add the stock.
Simmer for 10 minutes, add the cucumbers and beef, and heat for a few minutes. Pour in the cream and season.
Serve straight away with bread, rice or grains.

Time and servings

About 45 minutes. Serves 4.

Tips and variations

Slice the beef across the grain to make it easier to eat.
Cook it in batches to keep the pan hot.
If using beef that needs longer cooking, simmer it in the stock until tender before adding the cream.

Choosing and cutting the beef

For this quick version, choose tender beef intended for brief frying. Pat it dry before cutting and remove any tough membrane. Cut strips across the grain so they are easier to bite through once cooked. Keep the pieces a similar thickness so they cook at roughly the same rate. Add any juices left on the plate to the sauce later.

If using beef intended for slow cooking, sear it, then add stock and simmer covered until tender. The time depends on the cut, so check it with a fork and add liquid as needed. Add the fried vegetables, cucumbers and cream later. This version takes longer than the stated 45 minutes.

Sauce and serving

Mix the tomato paste into the fried vegetables and add the paprika just before pouring in the stock. Do not leave the paprika for long in a dry, very hot pan or it may become bitter. Add the cucumbers towards the end and taste before adding salt: the cucumbers and stock may provide enough. You can first mix the cream with a few spoonfuls of warm sauce in a bowl, then pour it into the pan.

Serve with rice, grains or bread to soak up the sauce. Cook the rice or grains while preparing the vegetables. Cool leftovers, transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate. Reheat gently until hot, adding a little water if needed. Store accompaniments separately so they do not absorb all the sauce.

Frying in batches

Heat a wide pan before adding the beef and leave space between the pieces. If it will not fit in a single layer, divide it into batches. An overcrowded pan makes the meat release liquid and stew rather than brown. Transfer the seared strips to a plate before cooking the vegetables. Do not cook tender beef for long after returning it to the pan, as it may become tough.

Clean and dry the mushrooms before slicing. Let their liquid evaporate in the pan before adding the stock. Cut the pepper into similarly sized strips and the cucumbers a little smaller. This distributes their tang through the sauce while keeping the vegetables easy to pick up with a spoon. If the sauce is too thin once combined, simmer it uncovered briefly before adding the beef.

Check the consistency before serving. If the reduced sauce tastes too intense, add a little water and bring it back to a simmer. You can serve some cucumbers separately so everyone can adjust the tang to taste.