MARCH MONDAY MUSING (WITH HUGE THOUGHTS of COMING SPRING) ~ PERFECT BEEF STROGANOFF

"The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size."

~ Gertrude S. Wister

PERFECT BEEF STROGANOFF

"Beef is the soul of cooking."

~ Marie Antoine Careme

_________________

3 pounds beef tenderloin

6 Tbsp. butter

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves finely chopped garlic

1 pound (1/4 inch sliced) fresh mushrooms

3 Tbsp. flour

2 tsp. meat-extract paste

1 Tbsp. ketchup

1/2 tsp. coarse salt

1/2 tsp. fresh cracked pepper

1 can (10 1/2 oz.) organic beef stock

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 Tbsp. snipped fresh dill (1 heaping tsp. dried dill weed)

1 1/2 cup sour cream

2 12-ounce fresh or dried spinach noodles

(or 2 cups cooked wild rice tossed with 4 cups cooked white)

additional fresh snipped dill or parsley

• Trim fat from beef. Cut filet crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Cut each slice, across grain into 1/2-inch thick strips. Season with salt and pepper.
• Slowly heat large heavy skillet. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter and just enough beef strips to cover skillet bottom. Over high heat, sear quickly on all sides. Remove with tongs as it browns (should be rare inside) and set aside. Continue until all strips are browned.
• In remaining hot butter in same skillet, saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms until onion is golden - about 5 minutes.
• Over low heat, add wine, snipped dill, and sour cream, stirring until well combined. Add beef; simmer just until sauce and beef are hot.
• Serve Stroganoff with spinach noodles or rice. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. dill or parsley over top.

~ Uncork a light Merlot or Pinot Noir and enjoy!

Note: "The dish hails from beautiful Saint Petersburg, where a culinary competition was once held in Czarist times, and where, in the 1890s, an intrepid chef concocted a mouth-watering creation of beef, mushrooms and sour cream, and took home the first prize.

The chef was in the employ of a noble family of considerable rank in Russia and named the dish in honor of his patron, Count PavelAlexandrovich Stroganov. The Stroganov family was rich beyond belief. At one time, they had 155,000 serfs on land that amounted to almost 6.5 million acres. One twist on the story is that the dish was designed specifically for the Count because he had lost his teeth and could no longer chew through a typical steak."

~ AskMen.com

Won't be long now! 13 days 'til spring ...