Russian cuisine gave the world a lot of delicious dishes, one of which is beef stroganoff or Stroganoff. This dish is a national not - it was invented by Count Alexander Grigorievich Stroganoff in the late nineteenth century. It is believed that the Count offered his cooks simmer sauce until soft little fried meat.

Great choice

It is not known, belonged to the idea of ​​cooking beef stroganoff to count, or its French chef has decided to please the owner, who has lost a lot of teeth and could not cope with the tough roast meat. Anyway, a new prescription went down in history under the name of the graph. First, the dish has become popular in Odessa, where the Count held an "open table", that is, give dinners that could go to almost everyone. Later on beef Stroganoff I learned the whole of Russia, and then - and the whole world.

Professional chefs and housewives liked beef stroganoff for quick cooking and easy recipe. For the classic Beef Stroganoff No exotic ingredients: only meat, onions, sour cream, tomato paste, a little flour, oil for frying, salt and pepper. Preparing the dish for about an hour, and most of that time - alone: ​​participation cook needs only at the initial stage of preparation.

This dish is very economical in contrast to meat cooked in one piece. Beef Stroganoff is easily divided into portions and excellent quality combined with almost any side dishes - vegetables, cereals, pasta. The food is different satiety, it is perfectly recuperate after a hard day. It is important that cooking beef stroganoff cope with even an inexperienced cook: it is important to observe a simple preparation technology.

Like many popular recipes, beef stroganoff has many variations. The meat added to a variety of sauces, mustard, flavored alcohol, mushrooms, cheese, and various vegetables, basil, garlic, oregano ... Such additives can drastically change the taste of the classic dishes. However, the meat Stroganoff well and in the most simple, traditional version.

As the name implies, Beef Stroganoff should be prepared exclusively from beef. Meanwhile, on the menu of many cafes and restaurants can be found stroganoff Chicken, pork Pork - meat guide   and even squid. From the classic recipe is only a way of cooking - stewing fried in sauce. Of course, to call these dishes Beef Stroganoff is impossible, but these dishes may well decorate everyday and holiday menus.

Subtleties cooking

To extinguish often used harsh meat that is prepared in any other way is impossible. But stroganoff should be prepared only from high-quality soft beef - tenderloin or loin. A large piece of meat should be thoroughly beat off, then cut into strips no thicker than one centimeter. Cut the meat across the grain should always be.

The most important stage of preparation - roasting. Pieces of meat should roll in flour mixed with salt and black pepper. In a deep pan pour a vegetable oil base of the pan to put circles onions, and when the oil burn, quickly fry the pieces of meat in it. This operation should take no more than five minutes, otherwise the meat will become tough.

After that, the meat sauce filled with fresh cream Smetana: untold riches of Russian cuisine   with a small amount of tomato paste. The dish should be mixed thoroughly and leave the stew to simmer under the cover until tender. Typically, quenching takes twenty minutes to an hour depending on the quality of meat.

On a garnish for beef stroganoff it is recommended to serve chips, but also suitable rice, pasta and even steamed vegetables. The main thing that was hot side dish: the dish must be supplied with heat-hot. Separately, you can apply slices of fresh tomato and herbs.

Every cook can improve the recipe to your liking. In the early twentieth century in Madeira sauce added a little later, some began to replace the tomato paste or ketchup fried tomatoes. Onions can be cut not only rings, but also into small pieces so that it almost dissolves in the sauce. Finally, the widespread tradition of adding to beef mushrooms - forest or mushrooms.

Some prefer to cook sour cream or cream sauce separately and do not add the cream directly to the meat. Such a method of cooking gives stroganoff particularly delicate taste. However, to completely replace the sour cream is not recommended - to the meat was soft, it needs an acidic environment. Nor should we neglect the tomato paste or even substitutes - that this ingredient gives the sauce an appetizing shade and a special flavor.

If you wish, you can improve any dish spices that blend with beef Beef - Meat Guide But even in the most minimalist version of the dish will turn out flavorful and delicious. The better the meat, the less it needs seasoning.

Recipe: Beef Stroganoff with mushrooms

For the preparation of meals should be taken four hundred grams of beef pulp, a large onion, one hundred grams of mushrooms, one hundred and fifty grams of fat sour cream, a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste, half or two tablespoons of flour, salt, pepper, oil for frying. Meat is necessary to beat off and cut into pieces in the little finger thick, roll them in a mixture of salt, pepper and flour. Mushrooms washed and cut into thin plates. Onions cut as finely as possible.

Sour cream mixed with tomato paste, if desired, you can add a clove of crushed garlic. Fry in hot oil pieces of meat with onion for a couple of minutes, add the mushrooms, reduce heat and pour the cream mixture into the pan with the tomato paste. If the cream is too thick, it can be slightly diluted with water. It now remains to reduce heat and simmer until tender dish. Served hot with a hot dish as a garnish. As support suitable red wine at room temperature.

Maria Bykov

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