Stuff My Mom Makes - Beef Stroganov

My Mother is a carnivore. She loves her meat. Who can blame her, right? I love a good filet mignon, a grilled T-bone or a really great flank steak with chimichurri. Most of the meals that my Mom prepares involve some form of meat. She doesn't like seafood at all. When we have a seafood dinner on the menu, she will gladly make herself a hamburger or she will cook up a single serving of prime rib or sirloin she has stashed in the freezer for just such an occasion.

She has been making this version of Beef Stroganov ever since I can remember (which is pretty darned far back) and it is frequently requested on the dinner rotation menu.  When I was little, I couldn't stand it. Ew, it was "grown-up" food. Plus, there is the little known fact that I did not eat meat willingly until I was about 30. It's true! I had to eat it when I was little and a teenager because, well...that's what was for dinner - eat or starve. I would barely eat meat, stuff it in a napkin, or hide it under the mashed potatoes. When I hit 20, I would only eat certain meat dishes, and this one was one I grew to eventually love.

I have read and tried a few different recipes for this dish, but I always come back to making it Mom's way because it is easier and tastes way better.  I was actually horrified to discover that some people make this with hamburger! No, no, no....that's gross. Sirloin, people! It's the only way.  The preparation methods that I have seen for this dish vary, too.  Mom uses both the stove top and the microwave.  Oh, and she doesn't measure anything so amounts are not approximate here...it's really to taste.

Brown about a pound to a pound and a half of bite-sized slices of sirloin in 3-4 tablespoons of butter.

When browned, transfer to a large microwave safe bowl. Keep juices in the pan.

Add quartered (or halved/whole if you prefer) mushrooms to pan juices and cook for about 3-5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms into the bowl with browned meat, still leaving the juices in the pan.

Off the heat, add one envelope of brown gravy (powdered kind) and about 3 tablespoons of all purpose flour.

Combine until there are no lumps.

Add water little by little (for a total of maybe one cup) and keep whisking.

Add 2-3 teaspoons of powdered beef bouillon and whisk to combine.

This is what you're looking for...a slightly thick gravy consistency.

Pour the gravy over the mushrooms and meat. At this step, you can add olives if you like.

Put a large stockpot of water on the stove to boil and prepare one package of egg noodles as directed.  We like the wide egg noodles, but any type will be fine. Cook the noodles while the meat mixture is in the microwave so that everything is done around the same time.

Here's where the microwave comes in:  Microwave the meat mixture at 40% power for 20 minutes. Stir. If the gravy gets too thick, add a little water to thin it out. Microwave again at 40% power for another 15 minutes.

Add about one cup of sour cream to meat mixture.

Stir in the sour cream. This will decrease the temperature of the dish (obviously), so feel free to microwave for a minute or so if it cools down too much.

Drain the egg noodles and get ready to plate!

Place egg noodles on the plate and top generously with meat, 'shrooms and gravy!

Beef Stroganov

You'll need:

4 Tbsp butter
1-1/2 pounds sirloin, trimmed and sliced into bite-sized pieces
1-2 cups of button mushrooms, quartered
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 envelope brown gravy
1 cup water
2 tsps powdered beef bouillon
3/4 cup green olives
1 cup sour cream
1 bag wide egg noodles

Brown meat in butter over medium heat. Remove with slotted spoon to large microwave safe bowl, leaving juices in the pan. Add mushrooms to pan and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to same bowl as the meat, leaving juices in the pan.

Remove pan from heat and add envelope of brown gravy and flour. Whisk to combine into roux. Add water little by little and keep whisking. Place pan back on heat. Add beef bouillon and whisk to combine. Mixture will begin to slightly thicken back up. Pour the gravy over the mushrooms and meat. Add olives.

Put a large stockpot of water on the stove to boil and prepare one package of egg noodles as directed. 


Microwave the meat mixture at 40% power for 20 minutes. Stir. If the gravy gets too thick, add a little water to thin it out. Microwave again at 40% power for another 15 minutes. Add sour cream.

Serve mixture over cooked egg noodles.