“All normal people love meat.  If I went to a barbecue and there was no meat, I would say “Yo Goober!  Where’s the meat?”  I’m trying to impress people, here, Lisa.  You don’t win friends with salad.” -Homer Simpson, lovable carnivore and patriarch of The Simpsons family

Please forgive me for doing this to you right now.  I’m still trying to shake off the excess of calories from Thanksgiving myself, and I have the audacity to post a recipe with beef, sour cream, and butter in it.  Believe me, I know.  I even caught myself lying on my side in front of the television, belly full of turkey, 2 kinds of stuffing, 4 different sides, 2 different desserts, 3 different bottles of wine, and holding a glass of the 4th, and thinking to myself “Wow, Krista, you actually ARE Jabba the Hutt right now!  Nice work!  Real lofty goals you’ve got for yourself there.”  Pretty sure I slinked off to spin class shortly thereafter, proverbial tail between my legs, a tear slowly making its way down my cheek.  I can understand why you’d be shaking a big fat fist in my direction.

Anyway, I apologize.  I can’t help it, you guys.  I’m really into mastering the comfort food classics right now, before I tackle a bunch of Christmas (Kristamas) fare and then venture off on an inevitable path of experimental kitchen wanderings.  Beef Stroganoff is one of my most all-time favorites.  What’s not to love, after all?  Tender, melt-in-your-mouth chunks of beef, mushrooms, a creamy, cognac-kissed sauce, and buttery, tender egg noodles – what a winning combination from the land that also created Sputnik, Glasnost, Theomatic Records, Nabakov, and nesting dolls.

Ingredients:

3-4 cups beef stock (preferably homemade) (NOTE:  If using store-bought beef stock, please opt for the low-sodium or sodium-free variety.)

1 medium carrot, washed, peeled, and cut into evenly-sized chunks

A few sprigs of fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 lb. beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into cubes roughly 1-2″ in size.  (NOTE:  Sometimes the butcher has chuck that is pre-cut into stew or kabob cubes.  You can also buy a chuck roast and trim it down yourself.)

Neutrally-flavored oil, such as vegetable or canola

1 medium onion, washed, peeled, and cut into small dice

4 tbsp. cognac

1/2 stick butter (4 tbsp.), unsalted

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. white button mushrooms, cleaned with a damp towel, stems removed, and caps quartered and reserved

3 large cloves garlic, washed, smashed, peeled, and minced fine

2 tbsp. sour cream, plus extra for serving

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Handful of fresh parsley leaves, washed, dried well, and chopped fine

1 lb. package of egg noodles

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1.  First let’s get that beef stock in a saucepan over medium-low heat and make it even yummier and more flavorful by adding the carrot chunks, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf.  Just let it stay warm on the back burner infusing until you need it in a few steps.  Don’t let it boil, but a gentle little simmer is OK.

2.  Make sure the meat is as dry as possible by patting off any extra moisture with paper towels.  Season the meat liberally with salt and pepper.  Heat just enough of the neutrally-flavored oil in a large, wide-bottomed pan to coat the cooking surface.  You should have the pot over high flame.  When the oil is very hot, sear the cubed meat on all sides until a nice brown crust develops.  You will notice little brown bits beginning to form on the bottom of the pan.  This is good, and they are your friends.  Just don’t let them burn.  If you think the meat is cooking too quickly and the bits are beginning to burn, just turn down the flame a bit and keep going.  Work in batches if necessary – you don’t want to over-crowd the pan.  When meat is properly seared, reserve on a plate lined with a few sheets of paper towel.

3.  Dump any excess oil from the pan, but leave the little bits intact.  Return the pot to medium heat, and add a bit of fresh oil.  Add the onion and sweat until translucent and soft, about 5-8 minutes.  When properly sweated, add the cognac and deglaze the pan, scraping up all of the bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon or spatula.  Allow the liquid to reduce by about half, return the meat to the pan, and reduce the flame to low.  Strain the solids out of the enriched beef stock and pour the stock over the meat and onions.  Cover the pot and allow the meat to braise in the stock for about 2-3 hours.  The meat is ready when it’s fork tender and basically just falls apart when you eat it.

4.  When the meat is almost ready, bring a nice big pot of salty water to a boil on the stove.  When the water is at a nice fierce boil, cook the egg noodles according to the package directions.  When cooked, drain well, return to the pot, and stir in 2 tbsp. of butter.  Keep warm.  Additionally, melt 2 tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat with the extra virgin olive oil.  When the butter is melted, add the quartered mushroom caps and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are nicely browned and tender.  They will release a lot of water after a few minutes of cooking – keep going – it will evaporate away and then you will get a lot of nice color on them.  If the pan gets too dry, add a bit more oil.

5.  When the meat is done, remove the pot from the heat and add the mushroom mixture, the sour cream, and the Dijon mustard.  Stir gently to incorporate, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  At the last minute, stir in the chopped parsley.

6.  To serve, make a bed of the egg noodles in a large, shallow bowl and top with a few big spoonfuls of the meat and mushroom mixture.  Serve hot and feel awesome.

Yield: This recipe will make about 4-6 good-sized dinner servings, comrade.