Beef Stroganoff — Strips of Beef with Paprika, Gherkins and Cream
Sear the beef strips very hot and briefly, remove. Soften the onions, mushrooms and paprika, deglaze with stock, add soured cream and gherkin strips. Return the meat, do not boil. Tender beef — rump, sirloin or fillet — is non-negotiable for stroganoff.
Stroganoff is the beef dish for the evening that can be a little special but should not take an hour. What sets it apart from an ordinary cream sauce is paprika, gherkins and soured cream — sweet, sour and spiced in one sauce. And that you cannot skimp on the meat: stewing beef stays tough in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 600 g Beef rump (cut into strips)
- 2 pieces Onions
- 250 g Mushrooms
- 4 pieces Gherkins
- 2 tbsp Clarified butter
- 1 tbsp Paprika (sweet)
- 1 tbsp Tomato purée
- 1 tbsp Flour
- 2 dl Beef stock
- 200 g Soured cream
- 1 tsp Mustard
- 1 tsp Salt
- Pepper
- ½ bunch Parsley
Method
- 1
Prepare
Cut the onions into strips, slice the mushrooms, cut the gherkins into thin strips. Pat the meat dry and pepper it — salt only after searing.
- 2
Sear the beef
Heat 1 tbsp clarified butter in a large pan until smoking. Sear the meat in two batches for 1 minute each, salt, remove. It should be pink inside.
- 3
Soften the vegetables
Add the remaining butter, soften the onions 3 minutes, add the mushrooms and fry 5 minutes until browned. Add the paprika, tomato purée and flour and fry 1 minute — no longer, or the paprika turns bitter.
- 4
Sauce
Deglaze with the stock, scrape up the browned bits, reduce 3 minutes. Lower the heat, stir in the soured cream, mustard and gherkins. Do not boil again, or the soured cream curdles.
- 5
Finish
Return the meat and its juices to the sauce and let it warm through for 1 minute. Season, scatter with parsley. Serve with tagliatelle, rice or mash.
Tips
- Cut the meat across the grain into 1 cm strips. Cut with the grain, even fillet turns chewy.
- The gherkins are what make it stroganoff. Leave them out and you have paprika beef — also good, but a different dish.
- Do not boil leftovers: warm the sauce gently, add the meat only briefly. Cold on bread is not bad either.
What can I substitute?
Fillet is more tender and pricier, sirloin juicier. Chicken makes it a family meal for half the cost — then sear 2 minutes instead of 1.
Crème fraîche does not curdle and can even boil briefly. Double cream with lemon comes closest in flavour.
Soften with the onions. Gives a sweeter, more colourful sauce that children usually prefer.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Which beef for stroganoff?
Only quick-frying cuts: rump, sirloin, fillet or ribeye. It is seared for one minute and then just warmed in the sauce. Stewing cuts like shoulder need two hours and are wrong here — they stay tough.
Why does the soured cream curdle in the sauce?
Because it boiled. Soured cream is low in fat and splits at high heat. Stir it in only after reducing, over low heat, and do not boil again. Crème fraîche is more forgiving.
What goes with stroganoff?
Classically wide buttered egg noodles. Just as good: rice, mash or Spätzli. A crisp salad with a sharp dressing alongside — the sauce is rich.
How much does stroganoff cost per person?
With Swiss rump about 9 CHF per person, with fillet 14 CHF, with chicken 5 CHF. Rump is the best balance of price and tenderness.
How you collect recipes
Paste a link
Copy the address of any recipe page — including this one. Ingredients, amounts and steps are recognised automatically.
Photograph a cookbook
Take a photo of a page from your cookbook. Even handwritten recipes from your grandmother get read.
Pull from Cookidoo
Got a Thermomix? Your Cookidoo recipes come into your collection with one click.
