This classic dinner party staple of 30 years ago remains a favorite of both my husband and son-in-law, not that anybody makes it for them very often (sorry). So when public television star and cookbook author Sara Moulton featured this as the perfect meal to serve your Valentine, she ended my February 14th recipe search. She took the basic recipe of beef, mushrooms, and onions in a sour cream sauce served over noodles and took it up a notch. Dried porcinis are soaked in beef broth for deep earthy flavor. Shallots, garlic, thyme and tomato paste punch up the sour cream, along with the Dijon mustard and lemon juice stirred in at the end.
All of this made total sense to me, except the unusual step of cooking the egg noodles right in the sauce. I had planned to do the noodles the traditional way in boiling water and use them as a bed for the stroganoff, but by the time I finished my Valentine cocktail I thought why not save a pan and pitched them into the rich delicious beef mixture. The noodles absorbed the sauce, making it all the more luscious!
1 1/2 ounces dried porcini, rinsed
1 1/2 cups low sodium beef or chicken broth
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces filet mignon cut into one inch cubes
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot or onion
4 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms (white, cremini, exotic or a mix)
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. fresh thyme
1 Tbs.tomato paste
1 Tbs. flour
1/3 cup dry red wine
4 ounces egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
In a small saucepan combine the porcini mushrooms and the beef broth and bring the mixture just to a boil. Remove the pan from the hear and let the mushrooms steep for 15 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine strainer, reserving it, and chop the mushrooms.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper and add it to the pan. Sear the meat quickly on all sides and transfer to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallot to the skillet and cook stirring until softened; add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Add the garlic, thyme, tomato paste and flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute,
Add the red wine, reserved broth, 1 1/2 cups water, the chopped porcini and the noodles to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally until the noodles are just al dente, about 10 minutes, adding additional water if necessary to keep the noodles partly submerged. Stir in the sour cream, Dijon and lemon juice ; adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add the beef and beef juices and simmer just until the meat is heated, about one minute. Serve right away, sprinkled with parsley. Makes 2 generous servings.
Note: In place of the porcinis, you could use any dried mushrooms. Substitute a less expensive cut of beef, as long as its tender. If making ahead, do cook the noodles separately in boiling water and gently reheat the sauce.
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