My Quick Beef Stroganoff..

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Beef Strog quick (13)

There’s another Beef Stroganoff on this website – it’s called the Cheat’s Beef Stroganoff, simply because I use stewing beef, and cook it slowly. It has all the great flavours associated with the proper beef Stroganoff, and has been my go-to beef stew for ages.

Today’s little recipe though, was one of those ‘necessity being the Mother of invention’ creations, when we had unexpected – but always welcome :) –  guests, and only two Beef Rump steaks..

This dinner was literally ready – from gazing anxiously into the fridge, to triumphantly dishing it up – in about 20 minutes!  The two steaks fed the four of us beautifully.. so bear this recipe in mind if you need a couple of extra servings sometime. The addition of a crisp green salad made it a special dinner!

EQUIPMENT:                                                                Beef Strog quick (4)

  • Your largest  frying pan
  • Cutting board, for the steaks
  • A large saucepan, for the rice
  • A sturdy fork and carving knife

INGREDIENTS: To feed 4

  • Two Beef Rump Steaks (or any other kind) at room temperature, well seasoned.
  • A knob of butter
  • A tablespoon of rapeseed oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • A carton of mushrooms (I use baby Portobello) – about 400g
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, grated.                                           Beef Strog quick (3)
  • A heaped teaspoon of Smoked paprika
  • A splash (about a tablespoonful or so) of Red wine – optional
  • Same of Brandy – also optional
  • Half a tub or so of Crème Fraiche (see NOTES 1 )

 

METHOD:

  • Fill the saucepan with water and bring to the boil.
  • Heat the pan to maximum, add the Butter and oil until it’s foaming then throw on the seasoned steaks.
  • Leave the steaks without touching them, for 3-4 minutes, until they are well seared and browned
  • Turn them over and give them another 3-4 minutes, then remove the steaks onto a warmed  plate and put aside to rest. (See NOTES 2)
  • Reduce the heat, then add the onions and mushrooms and stir around with a wooden spoon to pick up any delicious crusty bits from the bottom of the pan.

Beef Strog quick (2) Beef Strog quick (6)

  • After 3-4 minutes when the contents of the pan have wilted a little, add the Garlic and the Smoked Paprika, and stir in well, reduce the heat a little
  • Put the rice on to cook.
  • Put the rested steaks onto the cutting board and cut into slices – it will be very, very rare, but bear with me..

Beef Strog quick (10)

  • Add the steak to the pan, and stir it about until it’s covered with the vegetable mixture.
  • Dollop in the Crème Fraiche and stir in until you get a lovely creamy sauce – See NOTES 3

Beef Strog quick (11)

  • Check the seasoning, then serve with the rice and a nice green salad.
  • Miracle worked!

NOTES:

  1. The steaks: These are only seared by the initial high-temperature cooking in the pan – they will be very undercooked when you slice them, but they’ll cook in the sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Of course, if you and your guests like really rare beef, then add them at the last minute.
  2. As you slice the beef, make sure that you remove any little bits of sinew or fat, and cut the slices in half to make them into bite-sized pieces.
  3. If the sauce is a little dry add up to half a cup of boiling water to thin it a little. Taste for seasoning after this.
  4. If you have a little finely chopped parsley (Sadly I didn’t, in these pictures)  just sprinkle it over as you serve..

Green salad

About

I started writing down recipes in an old copybook when I was about 16. With 6 children at home, my Mother was always glad of a hand in the kitchen, and really allowed us to experiment - as long as we washed up afterwards, and left the kitchen immaculate! Having a tidy kitchen has followed me through my life, as has the habit of writing down my favourite recipes; except that these days I write them for my website, and add photographs when I can. The website really started when it occurred to me that my daughter might like to have these recipes when I've forgotten them. In my early days of cooking for family and friends, I used to phone my Mum all the time to ask her for the recipe for some of our favourite family dinners. She rarely had a recipe to hand - I think, like me, she made a lot of it up as she went along.. So welcome to Eating for Ireland - these are the recipes that my friends and family having been eating these past 40 years.. yes, I truly am ancient! They are tried and tested, and have worked for me for all that time - I have updated them as new ingredients became available - I really hope you'll find something that you can make into a family favourite of your own. You don't have to tell anyone where you found these great new dishes that you're serving up - it can be our little secret, but I'd really love it if you could give me a sneaky 'follow' on Facebook and Instagram.. So off you go - have a good rummage around, you're bound to find something new! My sincere thanks to all of you who have found a recipe that you liked and dropped me a line to tell me - I really do love to hear from you! Happy Cooking! Becks xx

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