There are so many variations of Beef Stroganoff. I always believed that an authentic Russian Beef Stroganoff should be made with brandy, but I have seen many recipes that call for white wine or simply lemon juice. Some use mushrooms, others don’t. Our Not Quite a Beef Stroganoff is different in that we used full-bodied red wine. In this sense, it is almost a fusion of Boeuf Bourguignon and a Beef Stroganoff.
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Yesterday, we planned to make a more traditional Beef Stroganoff. But the plan changed when I realised we didn’t have any brandy left. As if by magic, on the same day my mum sent me a photo of a recipe for beef in red wine sauce that she found in a magazine. And then the experiment was on. We opened a bottle of red and our Not Quite a Beef Stroganoff was on the way!
This dish offers all the silky smoothness of the traditional sauce but has a slight fruity sourness from the red wine. With a pinch of paprika, the colour of the sauce is deeper and more inviting than ever before. Served on a bed of fluffy white rice, this made a very special dinner on a cold February night.
First, prepare all of the ingredients ready to go. Thinly slice the onions. And start cooking whatever you’re going to serve your beef with. I love it with french fries, mashed potato or rice.
The preparation of the beef is of ultimate importance here. Cut the beef into thin strips in the opposite direction to the natural muscle fibres. Season and sprinkle a tablespoon of flour all over. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high and tip in the beef strips. Stirring, flash fry them for 1-2 minutes until just browned all over. Then add the wine and boil vigorously for a minute or so, until reduced by half.
What wine to cook with? My simple advice would be to cook with the wine you want to drink 🙂 After all, you will be left with the rest of the bottle. My personal favourites are widely available wines from Côtes du Rhône region (I love this one here) and Australian Shiraz (this one is brilliant with beef).
Add creme fraiche and a pinch of paprika and stir immediately. Once the sauce is hot and bubbling (it should take no longer than 1-2 minutes), take it off the heat and serve.
We don’t eat red meat all that often, but when we do, it has to be something special. You can find our Traditional Beef Stroganoff recipe in our mains archives as well. Another beef favourite of ours is Crispy Chilli Beef. Have a look if you fancy a meaty dinner!
Not Quite a Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 300 g sirloin steak cut against the grain into thin strips
- 1 small brown onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 20 g unsalted butter
- 30 ml red wine
- 80 g creme fraiche
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 140 g white rice to serve
Instructions
- Cook your rice (and any other garnishes) following pack instructions.
- Place your beef strips in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of plain flour and mix to coat.
- In a large frying pan, melt the butter. Add onions and fry for 5 minutes on medium heat. Increase the heat to high and tip in the beef. Stirring, flash-fry the beef for 1-2 minutes until just browned all over.
- Add the red wine and let most of it evaporate, stirring (this shouldn't take longer than 20 seconds). Add creme fraiche and paprika and mix together. Only cook until it's warmed through, then take off the heat before the beef has time to overcook.
- Serve with rice and your favourite vegetables!
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