Beef Meatball Stroganoff
I made this recipe on a hunch based on a photo I stumbled across. It isn’t that I forgot beef stroganoff existed it’s just that beef stroganoff isn’t very hip, not even in an ironic way. I’ve never seen a food truck rock up to an empty parking lot at a craft brewery selling stroganoff and shots of vodka. Like the much loved leg warmers of my youth, it had been forgotten in lieu of sexier, more modern fare like sushi and avacados.
But that photo looked like it had been taken on my family’s dinner table in 1989. Note the buttermilk biscuit in the back. If there had also been an iceberg lettuce salad with a single tomato cut into quarters with ranch dressing on it, I would have doubted what decade I was currently living in because in central Wisconsin in the late 80’s you were guaranteed a meal of the stuff if you hung around our house long enough. Which is to say, when I saw a photo of a plate full of those curly egg noodles with that creamy sauce dripping down the sides I was transported to very happy memories of childhood. And isn’t that what most of cooking is? Reliving memories that we love.
Now, I’m pretty sure my mom’s version of beef stroganoff was some sliced steak, chopped up onions and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Maybe she put in some sour cream to make it extra special. I don’t know that she went the whole route of cayenne, smoked paprika or even dill for that matter. But there were definitely buttered egg noodles and it was definitely a dinner I looked forward to.
Let me tell you, it lives up to the memory. Maybe better even because it has been so long since I’ve had it. I’m so glad I came upon the recipe because if I had tried to make it from memory I would have missed out on a bunch of flavours that, when taken together, are a master class in balancing depth and brightness. I love this meatball version because it is so easy but if you have a flank steak hanging around that you can flash fry that would also be great. From here on out, if you hang around my house often enough, you’ll be guaranteed a plate of this with some iceberg lettuce on the side and a shot of vodka to wash it down.
Ingredients
Instructions
You have a couple of decisions to make before you get going.
- How do you feel about waiting for water to boil? If you hate standing there waiting for the proverbial watched pot you can get the water boiling right away. You can also wait because, generally, egg noodles don’t take that long to cook.
- Are you a mise-master (as in mise en place) and want to have everything chopped and set up before you go or will you do it as you go?
Not trying to tell you your business but becoming a mise-master changed the way I cooked and took a lot of the stress out. When I knew the garlic was already chopped I didn’t have to ignore the pan to chop it and then be scared the whole time something was burning and then cut the tip of my finger off. It was just a tiny bit, it’s totally find now but what I’m saying is….if you can get in the habit, I find it to be worth it. However, as you know around here: your kitchen, your choice. Generally I write recipes mise first.
In the spirit of mise, start by washing and slicing the mushrooms, dicing the onion and having all of the other ingredients out on the counter with you. If you are using a stock cube or the stock jelly things, put the kettle on to boil so the stock is ready when you need it.
I prefer to use the minimum amount of pans so put a little oil in the skillet and brown the MEATBALLS first. Keep them moving around in a pretty hot pan to get the actual browning. When you’re happy, set them aside in a bowl or a plate. You won’t need them until the end.
Without cleaning the skillet but adding a little more oil put the sliced MUSHROOMS and the ONION in together. After they have started to soften a bit, sprinkle over the PAPRIKA and the CAYENNE PEPPER. Stir this all together and let cook for a few more minutes.
There is going to be some stuff sticking to the bottom of the pan about now and that is a good thing because that stuff is all flavour. It is called fond and we are fond of fond over here. In order for it to be useful in your sauce you have to get it wet and get it off the bottom of the pan. That is what deglazing is. You can use water, you can even use some of the chicken stock you’ve made if you don’t want to use alcohol but the idea is to put in that DRY WHITE WINE (or other liquid) and move it around the pan, scraping up the bits off the bottom. Let it burn off for a few minutes. Tada! Now you know how to deglaze.
Sprinkle the FLOUR over the onions/mushrooms. The idea is that the flour will help thicken the sauce so start with the 2 Tbsp but if that doesn’t give everything a light coat, use a bit more. You can also add some later if it really needs it. Stir that all together.
Now you’re basically in assembly mode. If you haven’t already started to boil the water, put the pan on now so it is boiling once you have the sauce together. Pour the CHICKEN BROTH and MUSTARD into the onion/mushroom mix. Start with half the LEMON and squeeze that in. This is going to cook away and thicken for about ten minutes but now is a good time to taste it. The flavours will become more concentrated but if something seems out of whack now is your first time to adjust.
Put the EGG NOODLES in the boiling water.
Once the sauce has cooked down and is thickening, add the SOURED CREAM, DILL and the meatballs that have been patiently waiting on the side. Stir it all through and give it another taste. You’re just warming the meatballs back up at this point so put in what needs putting in. For me that always means black pepper and I usually use the second half of that lemon, too but whatever your tastebuds are asking for, give it to them!
Drain the noodles, put them back into the pot (fewer dishes) or a bowl (nicer for company) and put enough UNSALTED BUTTER so they don’t get all gloopy with each other. We serve the noodles separate from the sauce but if you want to put them together, go for it.
If you aren’t convinced by my plug for mise on place, maybe the French Cooking Academy makes a better argument. He is very French and that alone makes the video worth watching.
If you want to see someone deglaze a pan, here’s Martha Stewart practicing her best French accent.
