Once thought of as an impressive gourmet dish for dinner parties, Beef Stroganoff is actually easy enough to make any night of the week. It's essentially nothing more than thin strips of beef simmered in a creamy sauce. But what a delicious sauce it is, meaty and rich, and still guaranteed to impress.
There are several ways to make the creamy sauce, depending on how your body feels about dairy and how you feel about the flavor of coconut milk. This recipe combines 1/2 cup (125 ml) coconut milk with 1 cup (250 ml) whole cream for a decadent-tasting sauce with light coconut flavor. The whole cream can be omitted and 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of coconut milk can be used instead. You could even omit both the coconut milk and cream and simply serve the meat and simmered stock with a dollop of sour cream. The dish will turn out great no matter what.
Beef Stroganoff was first made in Russia centuries ago. Way back then, stroganoff was served without a carb companion, unless some fried potatoes could be found. Rice and noodles were not part of the original dish so there's no reason to add them now. The tender beef and mushrooms and flavorful sauce are hearty enough and so delicious that you won't want a noodle to get in the way.
Serves: 4
Time in the Kitchen: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (15 ml)
- 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) beef tenderloin or sirloin, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (6 mm) that are 2 to 3 inches in length (5 cm to 7.6 cm)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (30 m)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots (60 ml)
- 8 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, thinly sliced (230 g)
- 1 cup beef stock (250 ml)
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (125 ml)
- 1 cup heavy cream (250 ml)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (15 ml)
- Chopped fresh parsley or dill for an optional garnish
Instructions:
Lightly season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet (12-inch or more) over high heat until the skillet is very hot. Add half of the beef strips, cooking for 1 minute on each side to brown. Put the cooked meat in a bowl. Let the pan heat up again before browning the rest of the meat. Add the second batch of meat to the bowl.
Turn the heat down slightly to medium-high. Add the butter. When it melts, add the shallots. Sauté for just a minute or two then add the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the beef stock and coconut milk, scraping the bottom of the skillet to release all the tasty bits stuck to the pan. Boil for 5 minutes.
Whisk in the heavy cream and mustard. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes to thicken the sauce slightly.
Add the meat and any juice that's collected in the bowl with the meat. Simmer just a few minutes to heat the meat back up.
Add sea salt to taste and serve. Add chopped parsley or dill for garnish if desired.
Mark Sisson is a former elite marathoner and triathlete. He is the author of the best-selling health and fitness book The Primal Blueprint, and publisher of the health blog MarksDailyApple.com. Become a fan on Facebook and visit Mark's blog for daily health tips.
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