Serious Comfort Food…

Happy Holidays Juicy Bites readers! I know posts are coming a little slowly these days…’tis the season :).  I am trying not to let too much time pass before I get a little something yummy out to my faithful readers.

I know I say this every year, but man…the Holidays seriously overwhelm me! Every year after Christmas, I tell myself to get ahead of the game the following year so that I won’t feel so stressed and I will be able to enjoy the season more with my family. Well…that has yet to actually happen. I had envisioned many Holiday-ish posts this month, but that’s not happening either. Maybe next year…

For now, here is a great winter dish that you can make for any Holiday company that might come your way. I LOVE beef that has been braised and slow cooked to fall-apart perfection. Especially when there is wine involved in the braising This dish is just that…tender, beefy, yummy goodness! It requires little prep time, but does need plenty of time to cook once it gets going.

You can make stroganoff with a number of different cuts of beef. Filet is great (but expensive) and cooks very quickly. You can also use top sirloin which is less expensive but not quite as tender. My favorite is chuck or these boneless short ribs. You need more cooking time, but I love the end result.

You need to brown the beef first. This step is important, so don’t rush it. Depending on how much you make, you may need to do it in batches so you don’t over crowd the pan.

The veggies go in the pan after the beef is browned. You cook them in the yumminess left behind after you brown the beef. It’s all a part of the “layers of flavor” that you get when you cook like this. DELISH!

Mushrooms are a key ingredient in stroganoff. I used a mix of brown mushrooms and assorted mushrooms like shitake & crimini. You brown them separately and add them to the beef after it has finished cooking.

I like to serve this over egg noodles which is pretty traditional. It would also be scrumptious over mashed potatoes. You need some good crusty bread on the side and some red wine. Salad is totally optional…I find that sometimes greens just get in the way when I am craving a dinner like this :).

This a great dish to cook for company. You could easily double it, and most of the work can be done in advance.

Short Rib Stroganoff

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of boneless beef short ribs
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for the mushrooms)
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrot, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup red wine (I used a zinfandel)
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 bay leaves
•  1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pound sliced mushrooms (I used assorted….use what ever you like)
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
• 1 pound egg noodles, cooked, drained, and tossed with a little butter, salt and pepper for serving
• fresh chopped Italian parsley to garnish

Method:

Heat the oil over medium/high heat in a large dutch oven. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and brown on all sides (about 2-3 minutes per side). Do this in batches so you don’t over crowd the pan. Once the all of the beef is browned, set aside and add the onion and carrot to the pan (add a little more oil if you need it). Saute the veggies, scraping up all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for a few more minutes. Add the wine to the pot and deglaze any remaining bits from the pot. Return the beef to the pot and add the stock, the tomato paste, the bay leaves, and the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the beef is very tender.

While the beef is cooking, heat the butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and cook the mushrooms over high heat so that they caramelize. Cook until there is no liquid left in the pan and the mushrooms are nicely browned. Set aside until beef is done.

Once beef is tender, add the mustard and worcestershire and mix well. Taste for seasoning, you may need more salt and pepper depending on how salty your stock is. Add the cooked mushrooms to the beef, then add the sour cream and mix well. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Serve over the egg noodles and top with fresh parsley.