Beef Stroganoff

Method

1. 1

   Pat the beef dry and season it with the salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a wide skillet over medium-high. Sear the beef in two batches, about 1 minute a side, until browned and not yet cooked hard. Lift it out.

2. 2

   Lower the heat. Add the rest of the butter, the onion, and the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms have given up their water and started to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic for 30 seconds.

3. 3

   Stir in the flour for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and the mustard. Simmer 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens a little. If you used chuck, return the beef now and simmer gently until the strips are tender, up to 20 minutes more. If you used sirloin, do not simmer it that long or it toughens.

4. 4

   Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the sour cream, then the sirloin if that is what you seared. The sauce should look creamy, not broken. Season again if it needs salt. Serve over the noodles.

From the kitchen

• Sour cream curdles if you boil it. Off the heat is the rule.
• This is butter and broth. There is no seed oil in the pan.