Maria’s Russian Beef Stroganoff

If you don’t like this beef recipe, your taste buds aren’t working right.

Beef Stroganoff was named after Count Stroganoff from the court of Alexander III. It’s been around for a long time. I’ve tried several variations of this and we refer to it as simply “beef.” It’s excellent paired with mashed potatoes or over a bed of white rice. Maria (my sister’s mother-in-law) is famous for this dish. She frequently brings it to parties and church potlucks. This is my all-time favorite beef recipe. I was so excited when Maria shared this with me. I was equally excited to discover it’s not as difficult as I imagined (sometimes beef intimidates me). I’m pleased to share this classic Russian recipe with you. See my notes in the comments section regarding making a larger batch.

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Cost to Make: $10 to $12
Servings: 4 (as a main course)

Ingredients for Russian Beef Stroganoff:
2 lbs steak - I used: “beef round bottom round thin sliced” or any kind of sirloin should work. Nothing too marbleized. I purchased the thin-sliced steak at Costco at $3.69/lb.

1 tsp Mrs. Dash seasoning
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp paprika
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1  1/2 tbsp Soy Sauce (i.e. 2 packets from Panda Express)
1  1/2 cups water
1 large garlic clove, finely grated or pressed
1  1/2 cups whipping Cream
2 Tbsp butter
1  1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

How to Make the Best Beef Recipe:
Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Trim beef of excess fat and slice it into 1/2-inch strips.

2. Fill a medium pot 2/3 with water and bring to a boil.
3. Add beef and return to a boil.

4. Boil until impurities rise to the top. Skim off impurities with a spoon.

5. Remove from heat and rinse the beef in a colander.

6. Place the beef in a dutch oven (for baking) or a regular pot with a tight fitting lid (if you want to do the whole process stove top). See notes below if using anything other than a dutch oven).
7. Stir in Mrs. Dash, Pepper, Salt, Paprika, Olive Oil and Soy Sauce. Add 1 cup water. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes (at 350 deg F). Check meat after 1 hour  - if the meat has absorbed most of the water, add another 1/2 cup water.
(For stove-top cooking, put on tight fitting lid and cook over medium heat until meat is soft, occasionally stirring and checking the water level). There should be enough water to keep the meat moist – remember it’s not a soup.
8. After the meat has been baking for 1 and 1/2 hours, remove from the oven and add the grated/pressed garlic:

9. Stir in 1 1/2 cups whipping cream.

10. Melt butter, then blend flour into butter using a fork.
11. Add butter mixture to the pot and stir to combine.

12. Bake an additional 25 minutes. Beef should be very tender and sauce should have a gravy texture. You can add more cream if it gets too thick.

YUMM! YUMM! YUMM!!

Notes: if you are going to use something besides a dutch oven (cast iron pot), you may need to adjust how much water you put in. Start with 3/4 cup and periodically check to see if you need more water.

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Beef – $4/lb,… Organic cream – $3.50,…..Turning around and seeing your son in the crockpot – PRICELESS.