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Furry loves it. But lately, every time I cook it, the meat is tough and dry. I buy it from my local butcher (sources the meat from Cardinia) as pre-cut strips, flour and season, brown, add tommies and 'shrooms, some sugo and a glass of wine.

Last night I simmered it for 2 hours before adding the sour cream and serving it... and the meat was still tough... and flavourless.... like the sauce hadn't penetrated it....

What am I doing wrong?

I don't think you're doing anything wrong, but...do you have a pressure saucepan?

Hello PG! Beef Stroganoff was a favourite in my childhood, we ate it a lot. It's a good one to give kids.

What people don't understand is that it's not a braised dish. This could be why yours is ending up tough. You just need to brown the meat, let it rest then add it to the sauce. It can be a quickie and if you want to make a low fat version use low fat sour cream or even low fat Carnation evaporated milk for a creamier finish. I like to serve it topped with a generous amount of chopped flat leaf parsley.


I pretty much use the method in Robert Carrier's Cooking For You published in 1973. The Recipe goes like this:

Boeuf Straganoff

1. Pound 1lb/450g rump steak out thinly with a moistened meat bat (I kid you not! ) and cut diagonally across the grain into neat strips about quarter inch wide and 2 inches long
(I put the meat between to pieces of freezer wrap and bash it with the blunt edge of a cleaver or whallop it with a rolling pin)

2. Combine 1 tablespoon of flour with half a teaspoon of salt in a plastic bag; add meat strips, close the bag securely and shake to coat the meat with flour

3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large, deep frying pan and when very hot brown the meat rapidly on all sides. The strips should remain very pink and juicy inside. Remove from pan and rest them, keeping warm.

4. In the same fat saute 2oz/50g finely chopped mushrooms uuntil soft and golden. Add 3oz/75g thinly sliced button mushrooms and continue to simmer, stirring until tender for about 3-4 minutes longer. Remove all from pan and reserve with meat.

5. Melt another 2 tablespoons butter in the pan and stir in 2 tablespoons of flour. Cook over low hear for 3 minutes, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon to dislodge any pieces of meat or onion stuck to the pan.

6. Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 1/2 pint/3dl beef stock and bring to the boil slowly, stirring to make a smooth sauce. Then continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is rich and thick.

7. Fold in meat and juices, onions and mushrooms; stir in 5oz/142g sour cream and 1 tablespoon sherry. Correct seasoning, adding freshly ground black pepper and more salt if necessary. Reheat briefly and serve with plain boiled rice.

Chef's tip: This dish may appear to be expensive since only the best quality beef is suitable, but you will find that you will need to allow less meat per person than if serving straight grilled or fried steak.

I'll review that recipe a bit later..

Now, I'm too busy sniggering like a flatulent pre-teen boy over "moistened meat bat".

Sorry.

PG it's all about the meat you use and the way you cook it.

I handed down a heavy hand on cindy sargon for using fillet steak in stroganoff in a post of mine
http://getrealfood.blogspot.com/2008/05/reality-check.html as it's so expensive. Something like veal would be good AND cheaper. Recently however my mum told me that the 70's thang was stroganoff using fillet (i guess a post war sign of wealth???)

As sticky says, stroganoff is pretty much a quick cook, so any of the "steak cuts" would work - you could even think about cooking a steak whole and then slicing into strips to add back. The slow alternative would be to get some chuck tender and let it cook in tomatoes and mushroom for 2+hours adding the cream on serving.

All just random thoughts, but hope it helps...