DSC_0312So I did fish last time, and as we all know, fish is practically a vegetable. We’re in the midst of the winter months and what everyone really needs is a hearty, stick-to-your ribs dinner. This used to be one of my favorite winter meals growing up, and while I won’t claim that this stroganoff is as good as Mom’s, it’s pretty damn good. The problem with this cold-weather staple is that all the recipes out there make it sound like you need to have a dinner party and buy eight pounds of beef tenderloin to make them. In reality, with a decent steak and some egg noodles, you’re in business. Actually, it doesn’t even need to be that decent – you’re going to end up covering it with sauce and sour cream.

Once you cube and sear your steak, you just need to sauté onions (and mushrooms, depending on who else you’re feeding), make a basic roux and whisk in some beef or chicken stock. Thicken that further with mustard and sour cream, and you’ve got a fantastic meal for two in under an hour, with leftovers. One good sized steak yields an easy, quick, relatively inexpensive dinner.

DSC_0295 DSC_0304Ingredients

1 16 – 20 oz. thick-cut steak, like New York strip

1/2 pound thick egg noodles

1 large white or sweet onion

1 1/2 cups chicken or beef stock (I used chicken, because it was on sale, but next time I’d spring for beef)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

2 tablespoons fancy mustard

1/2 cup sour cream (save some for serving)

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Process

  1. Place a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta. Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil over medium-high or high heat in a large skillet. Cut steak into one-inch cubes and season heavily with salt and pepper. Sear steak in your hot pan until rare – it will continue to cook with the rest of the dish later. Remove browned meat from the pan and set aside. Turn heat to medium-low.
  2. Grate onion (or very finely chop it). Add butter and onion to the cooler pan with a pinch of salt. Sauté until softened, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle flour and half of the paprika over the onions and stir to fully incorporate.
  3. Slowly whisk in stock and continue to whisk often as the mixture comes to temperature. It will begin to bubble and thicken. Let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
  4. Heavily salt the boiling water in the pasta pot. Add pasta and cook until al dente. For the sauce, whisk in the sour cream and the fancy mustard of your choice. Dijon or whole grain mustard works well. Drain pasta and add it to the sauce. Add back the meat and any juices that have accumulated. Stir all the ingredients well to make sure that the sauce coats the meat and egg noodles. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of paprika.