Simple and Delicious Ground Beef Stroganoff

Must-try Stroganoff recipe..

We've all been there, when the meat cut for a particular recipe was not the right one, and although the sauce was still very good, the meat was practically unchewable. This happened to me a couple of times when I was making beef stroganoff - not yet a stew, it requires a top-quality steak, fillet or tenderloin. And once you've got the less expensive cut, like rump steak, it's always touch and go - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and the pieces of meat seem like they need to be minced before they can be eaten.

This is exactly what I was thinking, and realized that it's easy enough to modify the classic beef stroganoff recipe and, instead of taking a risk, use mince if I can't get hold of the right cut of meat. It also makes the process much quicker and almost impossible to get wrong. So here it is, my must-try Stroganoff recipe.

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Ingredients:

• 1 lb (450g) ground beef

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 large onion

• 300g/ 10oz button mushrooms

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 ½ cups (375ml) beef stock

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 150 ml / 2/3 cup sour cream or crème fraiche

• Salt and pepper

• Parsley (optional)

Kitchen utensils: frying pan, chopping board, knife, spatula.

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Method:

1. Heat a frying pan over a medium/high heat.

2. Add 1lb (450g) of ground beef, break up into small lumps with a spatula and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.

3. Meanwhile, finely chop 1 large onion and stir it into the mince.

4. Thinly slice 2 cloves of garlic and add to the mince and onions. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well and sauté over a medium heat for a further 3-4 minutes, until the onion is caramelized.

5. Slice 10oz (300g) button mushrooms and add to the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes to soften the mushrooms.

6. Use the spatula to push the mince closer to the edges, leaving a small empty circle in the middle of the pan. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and cook for a minute while stirring the butter into the flour to form a smooth paste. Season with 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard and mix all well together with the mince.

7. Pour in 1 ½ cups (375ml) beef stock and gently stir to make sure the flour dissolves.

8. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.

9. Turn off the heat. Add 150ml (2/3 cup) sour cream or crème fraîche and stir to incorporate the cream into the sauce.

10. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

11. Serve with finely chopped fresh herbs and enjoy!

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Ground Beef Stroganoff

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Notes:

Ground meat: It could be pork, chicken, lamb, venison, turkey - any minced meat! When choosing ingredients, don't buy mince with more than 10% fat. It's still beef stroganoff, even if it's slightly modified, and it shouldn't be greasy.

Garnishes: Basmati rice, pasta such as tagliatelle, spaghetti or farfalle, mashed potatoes, couscous, rice, buckwheat or egg noodles... or on its own with a good piece of bread and salad on the side.

Spices / Herbs: To make it more traditional, you can add a good teaspoon of paprika to the seasoning. Dry or fresh rosemary and pink peppercorns would depend on the flavor of the beef and would go perfectly with the mustard in the sauce. If using pork, you can add a small handful of juniper berries. Lamb would benefit from dried or fresh tarragon. Chicken and other poultry are wonderful with a tiny bit of nutmeg or allspice.

Beef stock: Stock is the basis of this sauce - make it at home with a simple recipe here.

Or buy a good quality one in the shops. Chicken or vegetable stock will work just as well.

Leftovers: Beef Stroganoff will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on a medium to low heat.

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Substitutions:

Ground beef/ Vegan: As mentioned above, you can use any ground red meat or poultry. For vegan options, choose a good quality organic vegan soy or oat based substitute.

Butter / Lactose-free / Vegan: Use 1 1/2 tablespoons olive or other vegetable oil.

Sour cream / Lactose-Free / Vegan: Plant-based natural Greek yoghurt would work well as a substitute for sour cream or crème fraîche.

Onion: Shallots and leeks would be just as good as onions, but if you're allergic, try half a fennel bulb or grated carrot instead for flavor.

Garlic: If you don't have fresh garlic, you can use garlic powder and add it when you season the mince with salt and pepper. Alternatively, if you have an allium allergy, use dried ginger and/or some chili flakes.

Flour/Gluten-free: Use corn or rice flour instead of wheat.

Mushrooms: Although mushrooms are an essential ingredient in Stroganoff, some people just don't like them and there are ways to replace them with something else. After all, sliced zucchini, squash or carrots would be very similar in texture and add sweetness.

Dijon mustard: Any mustard will do! Don't use a very strong one as it can easily overpower the flavor of the whole sauce.

Worcestershire sauce: You can use the same amount of soy sauce, miso paste, oyster sauce or balsamic vinegar instead.

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Watch How To Make It: