Beef Stroganoff for A Crowd - October 2008

1 oz. melted unsalted butter
1 oz. Olive oil
2 cups white onions, sliced thin and then chopped
2 quarts mushrooms, sliced
1 TBL minced garlic
2 cups dry white wine, or dry vermouth
4 cups beef stock
2 cups dry shiitake mushrooms
1 cup dry porcini mushrooms
2 TBL porcini mushroom powder, optional
1 TBL Mushroom concentrate (comes in a tube in grocery store)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 TBL tomato sauce
2 TBL Worcestershire sauce (or more to taste after completed)
Coarse black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp.Paprika
1 cup sour cream or crème fraîche

Strips of filet mignon, about 2 pounds to start.

1. In large pot, heat the butter and oil until hot. Add the white onions and saute until limp and translucent. Add the fresh mushroom slices and saute until golden. Add garlic and saute for 3 minutes more.

2. Add wine to pot, bring to a boil, and cook on medium-high until liquid is reduced by ½.

3. Add stock, dry mushrooms, mushroom base, porcini mushroom powder, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Bring back to boil, reduce heat and let simmer about 15 minutes.

4. Add cream to pot, bring to boil, and simmer another 15 minutes. Stir in paprika, kitchen bouquet, then adjust seasonings, adding salt only if necessary. At this point, check thickness of sauce. If not coating the back of spoon, mix a roux and thicken. When thickened, add sour cream/crème fraîche and stir.

5. While sauce is cooking, heat large saute pan with enough oil to coat bottom of pan. When hot, add seasoned meat to the pan, and saute in batches, trying not to “sweat” the meat, but rather cooking it quickly, with the least amount of liquid released from the meat (this would be more likely to be “steaming” the meat). Drain the meat, reserve the juices, and cook next batch.

6. With left-over juices from meat, reduce by 2/3 and add to sauce. Add meat and stir and simmer for 4-5 minutes.

7. Serve over egg noodles topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of thin sliced green onions.

Individual servings:
In 8" saute pan, place a handful of sliced fresh mushrooms.

Add about 1/4 cup of heavy cream, and about 8-10 oz. of stroganoff sauce with meat.

Bring to boil, simmer adding right before serving:
1 heaping tbl. Minced parsley and 1 heaping tbl. Minced scallions.