Beef Stroganoff

Cooking with Ben is a lot of work. Blogging about it, even more, but it is always worth it. What he lacks in technique, he brings in enthusiasm. Can I cook faster on my own? Of course. Do I make tastier dinners when left to my own devices? Often. Would I want to? Not a chance. When I just give myself over to the Ben experience, I can’t help but smile. I can’t help but dance a little in the kitchen. I can’t help but live in the moment.

Chef Ben culled through the pictures in his cookbook and settled on beef stroganoff as the Ben’s Day Wednesday offering for the week. He came for the steak and sour cream. He stayed for the onions and noodles. We used the general plan from The Simple Kitchen by Donna and Chad Elick, but I condensed the directions. I was intrigued by the technique of cooking the noodles right in the liquid in the pot. It actually worked out really well, and during its production, Ben mentioned several times that he felt our meal would be “delightful.” 

Creamy Beef Stroganoff with Egg Noodles

1 lb. steak, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. pepper

4 tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 c. Chardonnay

8 oz. wide egg noodles, uncooked

4 c. beef broth, divided

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 c. sour cream

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley

1. Season the steak with half the salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat half the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the steak in one layer, 4-6 minutes total, stirring once. Remove to plate.
2. Add remaining oil to same pot. When hot, add mushrooms, garlic and onions. Cook about 5 minutes.
3. Add Chardonnay, egg noodles and 3 3/4 c. beef broth to pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally and cook until noodles are al dente, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Vigorously mix remaining beef broth with cornstarch. Pour it into pot and cook a minute or two, until sauce thickens.
5. Remove pot from heat, and stir in sour cream and Dijon.
6. Stir steak back in, add remaining salt and pepper if necessary, top with parsley, and serve.