Day: January 17, 2009

 

Hi.  Top sirloin is on sale this week at Vons. Most people don't know what to do with top sirloin, since it can be tough and because it is a lean cut of meat.  It does have flavor and can be tender if sliced and cooked properly. 

     

   The main thing to remember is to cut AGAINST the grain, which ends up making your pieces less chewy.

 

Now.  Stroganoff.  A traditional Russian dish, made for Army Generals.  A *very* long time ago.  Kind of a delicacy for them using  meat (albeit cheap meat) cooked in a delightful, rich sauce.  A sour cream based sauce.

 

This is a simple recipe. Very few ingredients.

 

 

 These other two ingredients are optional: 

 

 

 

 

 

You will also need butter, salt, pepper, tarragon and nutmeg.

 

That's it.

 

 

 Slice about a pound of the top sirloin into 1/2 inch thick pieces (so they will cook evenly.

 

 

Put into pan with about 3 Tbs melted butter on low heat.  You want the meat to cook but not burn.  You don't want the butter to burn.  Salt and pepper the meat. Remove from the pan.

 

 

Chop the onion and put into the pan that has some butter and juice from the meat in it.  I have to chop into *very* large pieces because I married someone who refuses to eat onions, picks out even the most minute specks of diced ones, yet knows when I make a dish without onions, because "it doesn't taste right".  I've adapted.

 

Put the onions in the bowl with the meat-on the side.

 

Add more butter to the pan.  You can turn up the heat to medium.

 

 

Put in about 3/4 lb quartered mushrooms. It is almost always less expensive to buy these in bulk lately. 

 

I quarter mushrooms, instead of slicing, so they stay larger and don't turn to mush when cooking, since mushrooms  lose water when heated. 

 

While the mushrooms are cooking, season with tarragon and nutmeg. 

 

Let them cook. It may take about ten minutes.

 

Lower the heat again.  You will now make sauce. 

 

Add about one cup of sour cream (or you can use yogurt or even Imo, the sour cream substitute).  The sour cream should *not* bubble or boil,  just kind of melt in with the mushroom juice and butter.   I also toss in a few Tablespoons of tomato sauce if it does not seem thin (or saucy) enough.

 

 

Add the meat and onions back in and warm everything through.

 

 

 

 

You can serve this over egg noodles, or rice or by itself.

 

I like it with pickled beets and some rye bread.