Beef Stroganoff

Tender cubes of beef seasoned with allspice and served with a delicious sour cream and mustard sauce

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City/Region: Russia

Time Period: 1871

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Beef stroganoff has certainly gone through a lot of changes since this recipe was printed in 1871. Nowadays mushrooms are often added, and the allspice has pretty much disappeared, but I think it’s a delicious and unusual flavor for modern palates. The mustard flavor is present in the sauce without being super mustardy, and the beef is tender and flavorful.

This tasty dish comes together fairly quickly after the meat has rested with the seasonings, so I definitely recommend giving this a try.

“Two hours prior to cooking take two funts of tender beef, cut in small cubes, and sprinkle with salt and allspice; take 30 grams butter and 1 tablespoon of flour and mix, lightly fry in a skillet, then mix with 2 glasses of stock, add 1 teaspoon of Sarepska mustard, a little bit of pepper, mix well, bring to a boil, then strain and add 2 tablespoons of the best fresh sour cream. Then fry the beef in butter, then add it to the sauce, boil again, and serve.”

— Podarok molodym khozyaykam (A Gift to Young Housewives) by Elena Molokhovets, 1871

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Ingredients:

• 1.8 lbs (820 g) beef, a tender cut like filet or strip steak is best
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground allspice, about 15 whole allspice berries
• 8 tablespoons (115 g) butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Sarepska mustard*, or Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) beef stock
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 heaping tablespoons smetana*, or sour cream or crème fraîche

*See notes below.

Instructions:

1. Chop the beef into bite sized cubes, about 1 inch (2.5 cm).
2. Place the beef in a bowl and sprinkle it with the salt and allspice. Toss it together until the beef is evenly coated with the seasonings, then place it in the fridge to rest, uncovered, for 2 hours.
3. After the beef has rested, melt 6 tablespoons (86 g) of the butter in a deep skillet over medium heat. When the butter is sizzling, add the beef. You don’t want to overcrowd the pan, so do this in batches if you need to. After the meat has cooked for a minute or two and has browned, turn the pieces over and let them brown on the other side too. Remove the browned meat and set it aside.
4. Drain the remaining butter and juices from the pan, but leave the fond (any browned bits stuck to the pan) because it’ll add a ton of great flavor to the sauce.
5. Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter in the pan. When the butter has melted, add the flour and stir it together until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes or until it’s light brown.
6. Slowly add the beef stock, stirring constantly. The stock should help the fond release from the pan, so be sure to get all those delicious browned bits up. Let it cook for a minute, bringing it up to a simmer.
7. Stir in the mustard and pepper. Bring it back to a simmer and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. When it has thickened, stir in the smetana until it is completely incorporated.
8. Add the meat back into the pan and stir until all of the meat is evenly coated with the sauce. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for 2 minutes, then serve it forth with mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, or potato straws (kind of like thin fries).

Notes

• Sarepska is a thick, strong, spicy mustard that is popular in much of Eastern Europe. Dijon will work as a substitute if you can’t get a hold of it.
• Smetana is a type of thick sour cream. If you can’t find it, use sour cream or crème fraîche instead.
• Link to sarepska: https://amzn.to/4astBLb

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