Beef Stroganoff with a Gourmet Taste

Beef Stroganoff (Serves 10 to 12)

Strips of filet mignon browned in butter and served with shallots & mushrooms in a cognac cream sauce. This makes a perfect cold-weather meal.

7 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 Shallots, finely chopped
1 LB shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, roughly chopped
1 LB white button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 Cup cognac (cognac is a type of brandy, but fully
unncessary for this recipe, just omit it)

2 Cups heavy cream
1 Teaspoon English-style mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 LBs beef tenderloin, cut into strips 1/8-inch thick
1 Cup (about 4 ounces) pear tomatoes, halved

1 LB pappardelle pasta, cooked (substitute any nice,
long noodle)

1 Tablespoon crème fraîche (similiar to sour cream,
which is a great substitute)

Pinch of crushed saffron threads (don't worry about
the Saffron, it won't hurt the dish if it's not used)

1/4 Cup tarragon, finely chopped, plus sprigs for garnish
1/4 Cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

First, in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add shallots, and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook until liquid is released yet mushrooms are still firm, about 5 minutes. Transfer shallots and mushrooms to a medium bowl & set aside. Remove pan from heat. Add 1/4 cup cognac to deglaze, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from bottom of pan. Add cream, and return to heat. Cook until reduced slightly ~ about 5 minutes. Stir in mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Next step is to heat 4 tablespoons butter in the same pan over high heat. Working in batches, sear the meat for 1 minute, and add to mushrooms. Once all the meat is seared, deglaze sauté pan with remaining 1/4 cup cognac, and return meat, mushrooms, and reduced-cream mixture to sauté pan. Cook until just heated through, about 5 minutes. Add crème fraîche

Now, heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, and sauté until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Almost there... Toss pasta with olive oil, saffron, tarragon, and parsley. Transfer to a large platter. Spoon beef Stroganoff over pasta. Garnish with tomatoes &
tarragon sprigs.


I'VE UPDATED THIS PER THE QUESTIONS I RECEIVED & WILL TRY TO CREATE MYSELF IN ORDER TO OFFER ANY OTHER HINTS I LEARN DURING PREPARATION & SERVING (if edible ;)

This message was edited Sunday, Feb 3rd 11:42 PM

This message was edited Sunday, Feb 3rd 11:46 PM