Beef Stroganoff is a definitely a classic dish, which can be make rustic and simple at home and more elegant in a restaurant. I do hope you have already cooked this dish by following the classic recipe, that I posted, and liked it. 😀 This time I deviated from the traditional recipe: firstly, I thinly sliced the meat (originally it’s cubed); secondly, used the thick cream along with sour cream; and finally, the main twist is the addition of small pickled cucumbers. Salty and crunchy, thinly sliced cucumbers give an amazing and unbelievably tasty note to the whole dish! I bet you will love it even more!
Beef stroganoff is a staple and cooked very often in my house, so I just whip it up without a recipe in little time. The outcome is always the same – a satisfying meal with authentic taste! Of your course you need to follow few simple rules and you can be able to make the best Stroganoff like Russian cooks! You may use large pickled cucumbers, small gherkins or cornichons; crunchy dill and garlic are the best, soft or sweet are the worst. The best accompaniment is mushed potatoes or buckwheat. I hear you rice-lovers: use plain fluffy rice, but please do not use pasta or other noodles, it destroys the dish!
Beef Stroganoff with pickled cucumbers
You may sprinkle beef with a teaspoon of powdered paprika, if desired (add it along with flour).
Ingredients
Mashed potatoes
1 tsp fine salt (for water)
5-6 medium potatoes, peeled, cut unto chunks
1 bay leaf
50g butter
50ml warm full-fat milk (or a bit more, if needed)
sea salt, white&black pepper to taste
Beef Stroganoff
500g beef fillet (sirloin is good), thinly sliced
some flour, to coat meat
2 tbsp oil (olive or sunflower are good)
15g butter
1 large brown onion, thinly sliced
100g mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp dried thyme or 2-3 tsp fresh
6-7 small gerkins or 2-2 large pickled cucumbers, sliced
sauce
sea salt, white&black pepper to taste
Sauce
150g sour cream
100ml 30% cream
2-3 tsp Englsih mustard
100ml warm water, if needed
some chopped parsley, for garnish
Method
For mashed potatoes, in a large pan, bring slightly salted water to boil. Add potatoes and bay leaf, bring to boil again, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are soft and ready. Drain potatoes. Stir in butter, milk and season to taste. Mash it. Add a bit more milk, if the mixture is too thick.
- Lightly flour the beef from all sides, shake off any flour excess. Heat the heavy frying pan, when it’s hot, add oil and meat. Sear the beef from all sides. Divide into few batches if needed, so you don’t overcrowd the pan and steam the meat. Cook for 2-3 muntes or just until browned. Transfer to the plate.
- In the same frying pan, add butter along with onions, mushrooms and thyme. Fry on a high-medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until mushrooms are lightly golden. Then add fried meat and saute on a medium heat for 5 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: in a small bowl, combine the sour cream and cream with mustard.
- Add cucumbers and sauce. Give a good stir, season with salt and pepper. Cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes longer. If the creamy gravy is too thick, add hot water and stir.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, sprinkle with parsley. Enjoy!
milkandbun 
I love beef stroganoff and even more if there are mashed potatoes and pickled cucumbers with it. Yum! 😀
Thanks, Jhuls! You have to try with cucumbers, they give such a nice crunch and taste. 🙂
And I thought I knew how to make beef stroganoff! Next time I make it I will follow your directions and advice. Thanks for bringing this delicious and authentic dish to Fiesta Friday, and making me rethink the whole stroganoff thing.
And I’m wondering now how did you make beef stroganoff before? 🙂
This is a new recipe for cooking beef stroganoff but it looks utterly delicious! I have to try your way next time 🙂
I’ve nominated you for the Liebster Award since I think your blog is just amazing!
https://crumblesandkaleblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/27/liebster-awards/
In beef stroganoff originally meat cubes were used, but nowadays it’s beef stripes, which are sold almost everywhere. Better to buy a whole piece of meat and then cut thinly slice it or make cubes and choose the way you like.
Thanks a lot for the award! Feeling honored! 🙂
Have a great weekend!
Our family ALWAYS uses real cream with a little vinegar to sour, not sour cream and we always use very thinly sliced & julienned sweet pickles!! Gherkins. Everyone I know thinks we’re nuts, lol, and now I see you’ve posted something so much like it! We don’t use mustard, though, but I might just try it.
My Aunt brought the recipe back when she visited Russia on a delagation in the late 60’s. That was a huge deal, back then, because no-one from the US was normally allowed in Russia and certainly not back out!
🙂 🙂 🙂
Wow! Can only imagine how it was complicated to visit USSR (or opposite for Russians- visit US), and that recipe was like a real treasure!
I do like this dish more with pickled cucumbers than without. In my opinion, better to use sour pickled cucumbers, they might be slightly sweet but not very. 🙂
Thanks so much for taking time to comment and share your thoughts. 🙂
My pleasure, my friend!! 🙂
I haven’t had stroganoff in such a long time- your recipe for it sounds just lovely!
If only I could deliver the dish to your door! 😀 Thank you for commenting and have a lovely weekend, Sarah!