Beef Tenderloin Stroganoff with Brandy Cream
Restaurant-style stroganoff: tenderloin strips seared hard and fast, then folded into a brandy-deglazed mustard cream sauce and served with rice and potato sticks.
Method
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and put it in a 16 cm pot with the water. Bring to the boil over high heat for , then cover and cook over low heat for . Turn off the heat and leave it covered to steam.
Add in this stepLong-grain rice 140 gWater for the rice 220 ml
high heat→low heatCut the beef against the grain into strips 1 cm thick and 5 cm long, pat them very dry with kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a wide 28 cm frying pan over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Sear the beef in a single layer in 1 batch(es): leave it untouched for the first minute, turn once it is deep brown, in total. Move to a plate; it should still be pink inside.
Add in this stepBeef tenderloin (or sirloin) 300 gSalt ¼ tspCoarsely ground black pepper to tasteCooking oil 1 tbsp
high heatMelt half the butter in the same pan, add the quartered mushrooms and fry over medium-high heat for . When the liquid they release has evaporated and the edges are golden, add a pinch of salt and put them on the plate with the beef.
Add in this stepButter 7.5 gButton mushrooms 160 gSalt 0 tsp
medium-high heatAdd the rest of the butter and fry the finely chopped onion and garlic over medium heat for until soft and translucent. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 more minute until it darkens.
Add in this stepButter 7.5 gOnion ½Garlic cloves 2Tomato paste 1½ tsp
medium heatTake the pan off the heat, pour in the brandy, then return it and boil over medium-high heat for , scraping the brown bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. It is ready when the alcohol smell has gone and the liquid has almost disappeared. Keep your face away from the pan.
Add in this stepBrandy (or cognac) 30 ml
medium-high heatAdd the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and stock and simmer over medium-low heat for until reduced by about a third.
Add in this stepDijon mustard 1 tspWorcestershire sauce 1 tspBeef stock 80 ml
medium-low heatPour in the cream and return the beef, mushrooms and any juices from the plate. Warm over low heat for until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon, then season with salt and pepper. Do not let it boil or the beef will toughen. Serve over the rice with parsley and potato sticks on top.
Add in this stepDouble cream (or heavy cream) 120 mlSalt ⅛ tspCoarsely ground black pepper to tasteFlat-leaf parsley, chopped to tasteThin potato sticks (crisps) 40 g
low heat
Cook's tip
Crowding the pan drops the temperature and the beef stews instead of searing, so always work in batches. At the end only reheat the beef so the tenderloin stays tender. No brandy? Use the same amount of stock with a few drops of lemon juice.
Cooking it at camp
With a wide cast-iron pan and a strong burner you can cook it exactly as written. Wind weakens the flame, so set up a windscreen, and always take the pan off the burner before adding the brandy. Shelf-stable UHT cream saves cooler space.