Beef Stroganoff
A bistro classic done properly — strips of tender fillet in a glossy, smoky soured-cream sauce, sharpened with gherkins and lifted with a slug of brandy. Quick enough for a weeknight, but it eats like a treat, and it is on the table in about half an hour.
What is beef stroganoff?
Beef stroganoff is a Russian classic of tender strips of beef seared fast and folded through a creamy sauce of onions, mushrooms, mustard and soured cream. It is quick, comforting and endlessly adaptable, served most often over rice, buttered noodles or pasta. This is an easy, weeknight-friendly version that keeps the beef beautifully tender.
Why this works
- Fillet, barely cooked — strips of fillet need only a minute to colour and stay meltingly tender; a tougher cut would turn chewy in a sauce this quick.
- Smoked paprika does double duty — rolling the beef in it seasons the meat and gives the whole sauce its warm, smoky backbone.
- Sour cream and gherkins keep it honest — their tang cuts the double cream and brandy, so it tastes balanced, not heavy.
Ingredient notes and swaps
- Beef fillet — the splurge, worth it for tenderness in so fast a cook. Sirloin or rump work for less; slice thinly across the grain.
- Brandy — adds depth as it cooks off. Dry sherry or Madeira stand in; or leave it out and add a splash more stock.
- Sour and double cream — together they give tang and body; crème fraîche can do both jobs at a pinch.
- Gherkins — not optional, to our mind; their sharpness makes the dish. Cornichons, finely sliced, are the same thing.
- Smoked paprika — sweet smoked, not hot.
Beef Stroganoff
FavouriteIngredients
Method
- Cut the Beef into strips roughly 2 cm thick and roll in the Smoked Paprika.
- In a thick-based sauté pan heat the Butter until foaming and add the Beef, evenly spaced out to ensure it fries without steaming.
- Colour both sides of the Beef for around 1 minute and remove from the pan, keeping the fat in the sauté pan.
- Add the Shallot and garlic and cook for 2 minutes on a medium heat.
- Slice the Mushrooms and add to the pan, cook gently for 2 minutes
- Add a knob more Butter if needed
- When the Mushrooms have all wilted, pour in the Brandy and reduce to almost nothing.
- Add the Beef Stock and both Creams, bring to the boil and reduce to a sauce-like consistency.
- About 10 minutes
- Stir in the Mustard and season the sauce to taste.
- Add the Beef back to the pan and bring to the boil for 1 minute whilst stirring
- Check the seasoning again
- Serve in a warm bowl, finish with the Parsley and the sliced Gherkins
- You could add Rice, Potato Mash or, our preferred, French Fries
Nutrition
Notes
Be mindful when reducing the sauce; you're looking for a consistency that coats the back of a spoon, not a thick paste. Over-reducing can make the sauce too heavy and less enjoyable.
Only bring the beef back to the boil briefly – just enough to heat it through. Overcooking the beef at this stage will make it tough and spoil the tender texture achieved earlier.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Tips for success
- Get the butter foaming and space the beef out — crowd the pan and it steams grey instead of browning.
- Colour it hard and fast, then lift it out; it finishes in the sauce, so a minute a side is plenty.
- Stir the soured cream in off a fierce heat so it loosens rather than splits.
- Taste at the end for smoke, tang and salt — a little more mustard or gherkin brine sharpens it right up.
Make ahead, storage and reheating
- Make ahead: Best cooked fresh, but slice and measure everything in advance and it comes together in minutes.
- Storage: Up to 2 days in the fridge.
- Reheating: Warm gently; do not let it boil or the cream can split.
What to serve it with
- Buttered rice or ribbon pasta (tagliatelle, pappardelle) is the classic bed; mash or even chips all soak up the sauce. A sharp green salad keeps it light.
FAQ
Can I use a cheaper cut? Yes — sirloin or rump, thinly sliced across the grain. Avoid stewing cuts; the cook is too quick to tenderise them.
What instead of brandy? Dry sherry or Madeira, or leave it out and add a little more stock.
Will it split when reheated? Only if it boils — warm it slowly and it is fine.
Sour cream or crème fraîche? Either; crème fraîche is richer and very stable, soured cream is sharper.
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