Cookbook author Beth Nguyen’s clever take on a classic beef stroganoff recipe is inspired by a memorable meal she had at a classmate’s house in the predominantly white Midwestern town where she grew up. (Read Nguyen’s essay about it here.) A few clever tricks make this version distinctly hers. First, she supplants the usual Worcestershire sauce with fish sauce. “You can’t taste the fish sauce,” Nguyen notes, “but you need it” to deliver a sauce with a powerful umami punch. Next, she replaces wan sliced white button mushrooms with hearty halved and quartered criminis. Finally, she replaces the typical chopped fresh parsley garnish with sliced scallions for a finish with more bite.
“Beef stroganoff has so few rules you don’t have to worry about breaking any,” Nguyen writes. In fact, there are dozens of interpretations of this 1950s staple of Russian origin, including ground beef stroganoff, ones made with cream of mushroom soup, slow-cooker and Crock-Pot renditions—and those that tell you to simply follow the package directions. Done well, it’s one of those main dishes that’s fitting for a dinner party or a weeknight meal with the whole family. The key is to make sure nothing gets overcooked. Nguyen opts for skirt steak over rib eye, beef tenderloin, or sirloin steak, pan-sears it in hunks, and then slices and serves it over the noodles and cream sauce so it stays tender and flavorful. To keep the salt level in check, she uses low-sodium beef stock instead of bouillon. One thing to look out for when making the stroganoff sauce: Sour cream can split if added directly to hot liquid, so mix it separately with a small amount of warm sauce to keep it smooth and produce a luxuriously creamy sauce to spoon over those buttered noodles.
Recipe information
Total Time
40 minutes
Yield
4 Servings
Ingredients
4
2
8
1
2
4
1
2
¼
2
1
¼
Preparation
Step 1
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil and 1 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium-high until butter is melted. Cook mushrooms, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, then transfer to a plate.
Step 2
Combine 1 Tbsp. oil and remaining 1 Tbsp. butter in same skillet. Season steak generously with salt and pepper. Cook until well browned, 3–4 minutes per side for medium-rare, depending on thickness. Transfer to another plate; wipe out skillet.
Step 3
Reduce heat to medium and pour remaining 1 Tbsp. oil into pan. Cook shallots, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened in color, about 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring often to coat shallots and garlic, until toasty smelling, about 3 minutes. Add wine; cook, scraping up browned bits, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add broth, fish sauce, and any liquid from mushrooms (leave mushrooms behind). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce coats a spoon, 12–15 minutes.
Step 4
Slice steak against the grain. Place sour cream in a small heatproof bowl and gradually whisk in 1 cup sauce. Stir back into sauce in skillet. Taste and season with more salt or fish sauce if needed. Stir in mushrooms. Serve sauce over noodles, topped with steak and scallions.
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in our April 2021 issue and first appeared online in March 2021. Check out more beef recipes over here →
Leave a Review
Reviews (148)
Back to TopI had such high hopes for this recipe. It seemed inspired to sub in fish sauce - taking the stroganoff in a more eastern direction. But it was ultimately disappointing. The fish sauce provided no additional bump of flavor over the standard Worcestershire (and I'm a person who will always go for Asian flavors over European). It was totally blah to me.
ScarletMagenta
San Francisco Bay Area
11/10/2023
The suggestion of the Marsala was a good one.
Keven P
Ft Lauderdale.
10/29/2023
We really enjoyed the flavor of this recipe. The sauce was amazing, although I would replace the skirt steak with ribeye next time.
Anonymous
houston, tx
2/10/2023
For AMIGO100: Try looking for Jovial brand egg tagliatelle dried pasta at your market. I cook for someone with a wheat sensitivity and we both agree, the texture is great. The egg provides the protein that most GF pasta is missing. Even someone who can eat wheat will enjoy this.
Suzinsf
San Francisco
2/1/2023
This is a consistent, no surprises dinner that is appropriate for a weeknight or casual entertaining. I upgrade the mushrooms to morels when they are in season. Make-ahead option: Do all steps except adding the beef/mushrooms. Warm back up & add seared beef and mushrooms then serve.
Montana Cook
Anaconda, MT
1/5/2023
I used Marsala instead of wine. Added green peppercorns cornichons and pickled cocktail onions as little surprises in the sauce.
pilarcanmore
Qualicum Beach BC canada
12/16/2022
This was so delicious. I didn't have beef broth so used chicken, doubled up on the fish sauce and added a splash of apple cider vinegar to increase acidity since I also didn't have sour cream - used half a cup of heavy cream instead. My husband and I both wanted to swim in the stuff. So rich and just divine.
Anonymous
Ontario
8/10/2022