Beef Stroganoff and Sangria

Credit: Catherine Roscoe Barr

Splurge on fresh herbs – like the thyme for this beef stroganoff recipe – to make a meal extra tasty

A little involved, but well worth the effort, this delicious beef and pasta dish is best suited for a weekend dinner

There were nightly requests for pasta last week as my husband prepared to ride in the GranFondo from Vancouver to Whistler on Saturday, September 10.

I made some favourites, including fettuccine alfredo and spaghetti, and decided to try a new one: beef stroganoff.

I followed this recipe from the Food Network’s Christine Cushing. It was more involved than my usual weekday dinners, and the very large pile of dishes that had accumulated by the time I was finished cooking had me feeling a little teary.

But the look in my husband’s eye when he had his first bite made everything worth it – he loved it. I loved it too and would definitely make it again (on a weekend, with a helper).

The recipe calls for one cup of red wine so there were two cups left over. I was practising solidarity in sobreity with my husband during his rigorous training schedule (at least for that night) so I used my trusty (and very under-utilized) wine pump to keep the too-good-too-waste Carmen Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon fresh until we arrived home after the race.

The wine pump did its job and two nights later the wine was still good, but our sweltering apartment wasn’t conducive to drinking anything that wasn’t ice cold.

I brainstormed to think of how I could drink the wine but stay cool. I came up with sangria! I found a lime, some orange juice, and a bottle of blood orange frizzante in the fridge so I threw them all together and, voila, we had delicious, ice-cold sangria.

Beef Stroganoff Ingredients

This recipe serves 4

• 4 cups good quality beef stock  
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons flour  
• 1 cup dry red wine  
• Several sprigs fresh thyme
• 12 ounces beef tenderloin, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup clarified butter 
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms  
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika 
• 1 dried chile, crushed  
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard  
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce  
• 1/2 cup sour cream  
• Freshly chopped flat leaf parsley, to taste

Beef Stroganoff Instructions

1. In a large saucepan or skillet, combine cold beef stock, flour and red wine.
2. Whisk over high heat until mixture is just coming to the boil.
3. Add the thyme sprigs and tomatoes.
4. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until mixture is reduced to 3 cups, about 30 minutes.
5. In a bowl, season sliced beef with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
6. In a Dutch oven or large skillet, heat 2 tbsp. of butter over high heat until sizzling.
7. In batches, brown beef well, about 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan.
8. Remove beef and reserve.
9. Reduce heat to low and add remaining 2 tbsp butter to Dutch oven.
10. Saute onions and mushrooms until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.
11. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
12. Add nutmeg, paprika, chile flakes, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and reduced stock and wine.
13. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 10 more minutes, just to develop the flavours. Sauce should be slightly syrupy.
14. Add back the reserved beef and stir in the sour cream continue to cook over medium heat until just heated through.
15. Adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with egg noodles.

Sangria Recipe  

This recipe serves 4

Sangria Ingredients

• 2 cups red wine
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 cup blood orange frizzante (or something equally fizzy and delicious)

Sangria Instructions

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in pitcher, stirring to combine.
2. Fill 4 glasses with ice, evenly divide wine mixture into glasses, and top with frizzante.