Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff is a tasty dish that comes from Russia. It is made with pieces of beef that are cooked until they are brown, and then mixed in a special sauce. This sauce is made from mustard and smetana, which is a kind of thick sour cream.

The dish gets its name from a family called the Stroganov family. It first became popular in the 1800s, and since then, many people all over the world have enjoyed it. Sometimes, people add other ingredients to their Beef Stroganoff, like mushrooms, to give it extra flavor. This dish is loved for its rich and creamy taste.

History

The dish is named after a member of the Stroganov family, a Russian noble family. It is not certain whether it is named after the diplomat Pavel Stroganov or the politician Alexander Stroganov. One story says that Pavel Stroganov's chef, while in Siberia, found the beef was frozen so hard that it could only be cut into small strips.

Some believe French cooks working for the family created the dish, but many think it is a fancier version of older Russian meals. In Russian, it is called Бефстро́ганов, which comes from the French bœuf Stroganoff.

Elena Molokhovets' classic Russian cookbook A Gift to Young Housewives has the first known recipe for "Beef à la Stroganov, with mustard" in its 1871 edition. The recipe uses beef cubes cooked in a mix of salt, allspice, and butter. The sauce is made from a roux mixed with prepared mustard and broth, and finished with a little sour cream. It does not include onions, mushrooms, or alcohol.

In 1891, a French chef named Charles Brière, working in Saint Petersburg, entered a recipe for beef Stroganoff in a contest for the French magazine L'Art culinaire. This led Larousse Gastronomique to think he created the dish, but the recipe and name already existed before that.

A recipe from 1909 adds onions and tomato sauce, and is served with crisp potato straws, which are the traditional side dish in Russia. The 1938 version in Larousse Gastronomique uses beef strips and onions, with either mustard or tomato paste as an option.

After the Russian monarchy ended in 1917, the dish became popular in hotels and restaurants in China before World War II. The first English cookbook to include the recipe was Ambrose Heath's Good Food in 1932. The dish arrived in Hong Kong in the late 1950s.

In the 1960s in the United States, several companies made dehydrated beef stroganoff mixes that people could mix with cooked beef and sour cream. It was also available freeze-dried for campers.

Around the world

Beef Stroganoff is made in many different ways around the world. The way it is prepared can change depending on where you are, what kind of meat is used, and what seasonings are added. The meat can be cut into different shapes, such as small cubes or thin strips. Some recipes add mushrooms, onions, or other vegetables, and they might use seasonings like sugar, salt, pepper, or special sauces such as Worcestershire sauce.

In Brazil, the dish is called estrogonofe or strogonoff. It is often made with tomato paste or ketchup and mushrooms, and sometimes chicken is used instead of beef. It is usually served with cooked white rice and shoestring fries called batata palha.

In the Nordic countries, a popular version is Korv stroganoff, which uses sausage instead of beef. In Sweden, this dish uses a local sausage called falukorv. In Finland, the dish is called makkarastroganoff, and sometimes includes diced brined pickles.

In the United Kingdom, Beef Stroganoff became popular in the 1930s and was especially liked in the 1970s. Modern British recipes often use white wine or brandy in the sauce, along with sour cream or crème fraîche, and sometimes smoked paprika and English mustard. It is usually served with rice, tagliatelle, or potatoes.

In the United States, Beef Stroganoff is often made with strips of beef filet in a sauce of mushrooms, onions, and sour cream. It is commonly served over rice or egg noodles.