Season's Eatings! Beef Stroganoff.

Craving something warm and savory? How about classic Beef Stroganoff? Big, buttery, parslied (my own word there) egg noodles w/a rich and savory, creamy sauce studded with huge, chunky slices of unbelievably tender beef and roasted mushrooms; positively soul-satisfying on a cold and bitter night. AND and and and... please DO NOT forget the - and this is essential - SOURDOUGH French bread (slathered with good butter) alongside. Some magical alchemy occurs with the tanginess of the sourdough and the beefy sour cream sauce. Plus that sourdough is how you're going to get every last smear of that delicious sauce out of your bowl without sacrificing your dignity by resorting to swiping with fingers or outright licking the bowl. I've done all three and the sourdough is the way to go. Make this dish this winter season and share!

I'll post my pics as soon as I can - pretty busy lately - but I wanted to show my love and send out this recipe while its the PERFECT season for it. Meantime, enjoy the far superior photo above to get you in the mood!

• Beef Stroganoff
• 2 lbs. beef chuck roast
• 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4 ounces butter
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• ½ teaspoon dried chives
• ¼ teaspoon dried tarragon
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup chopped white onions, optional
• butter, for sauteeing
• 4 fluid ounces sour cream, more (or less) to taste
• ¾ cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry, optional
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, lots, to taste
• cooked egg noodles, tossed w/butter (depending on our mood - we sometimes get the Amish noodles - more rustic and really suits this dish, but the common lighter and wider noodles - pic above - are wonderful)
• fresh parsley, chopped

Remove most of the fat and gristle from the roast (takes a little bit but worth it) and cut AGAINST THE GRAIN!!! into thin strips 1/8 inch thick by 2-3 inches long. Sprinkle with the Worcestershire. Season with bouillon granules and black pepper, toss to coat. Set aside.
Heat a very large skillet over high heat, melt and lightly brown the butter, add beef and brown the beef strips quickly (get all seasoning and juices into pan), then push the beef strips off to one side. Tilt the pan to allow juices to run to empty side then add the green onions to the juice and cook slowly for 3 to 5 minutes.
Whisk the flour into the juices of the pan; whisk and get most lumps out as you slowly pour in beef broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, whisking to remove lumps. Lower the heat and stir in mustard, beef granules, and herbs. Add some pepper and salt. Cover partially and simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally.
(Optional - about 45 minutes before serving, caramelize the chopped onions over slow heat) About 20 minutes before serving, in a small NOT NONSTICK skillet, pan roast mushrooms over very high heat in 2 T butter (almost dry pan). Get them really good and caramelized by not crowding the pan.
Five minutes before serving, stir in the mushrooms, (caramelized onions if using), sour cream, and white wine. Heat briefly then salt and pepper to taste. If you like black pepper, give a fresh sprinkling on each dish - it really gives it that smoky flavor to set off the rich cream. Garnish w/coarsely chopped parsley, and serve atop the buttered and parslied egg noodles and the buttered sourdough. BUTTER!