The Steward House Beef Tenderloin Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff is one of those meals I've made many times over the years, and it remains one of my favorites. There's something about tender beef, mushrooms, a rich sauce and buttered egg noodles that makes it a wonderful meal to serve at home. It's also a meal that our family shows up for.

For our October birthday celebration, I decided to make Beef Stroganoff for dinner. I made part of it mushroom-free because the birthday girl loves my Beef Stroganoff but does not like mushrooms. We were cooking for 26 people, which meant quite a bit of beef, mushrooms and sauce. I chose beef tenderloin because I wanted the beef to be especially tender.

This is a recipe that sizes up very well. I've written it for eight people because most of us aren't cooking for 26 on a regular basis. If you're planning a larger gathering, you can increase the ingredients and prepare the beef in batches.

I served ours with buttered egg noodles and a salad. I like having something lighter alongside a rich main course.

I prepared mine the evening before.

A Note on Safety

This recipe involves working with raw beef, hot oil and a large skillet. Use separate utensils and cutting surfaces for raw meat, wash your hands after handling it and take care when searing the beef.

Hot oil can splatter, particularly if the beef is wet when it goes into the pan. Pat the meat dry and avoid overcrowding the skillet. Keep little ones clear of the stove while the beef sears and the sauce simmers.

When preparing the dish in advance, cool it promptly and refrigerate it in shallow containers. Don't leave a large Dutch oven full of warm Stroganoff sitting on the stove overnight.

Recipe Information

Serves: Approximately 8

Preparation time: Approximately 30–40 minutes

Cooking time: Approximately 45–60 minutes

Best served with: Buttered egg noodles and a fresh green salad

Preparing ahead: Can be made in advance. Add sour cream close to serving.

Equipment

Large skillet

Large Dutch oven, or in my case, a couple

Cutting board

Sharp kitchen knife

Measuring cups and spoons

Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula

Tongs

Whisk

Large pot for noodles

Colander

Instant-read meat thermometer

Ingredients

For the Beef

3 pounds trimmed beef tenderloin or sirloin steak

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Mushroom Sauce

1½ pounds fresh cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 large yellow onion, finely diced

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

⅓ cup dry white wine, optional

2½ cups low-sodium beef stock

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1½ cups full-fat sour cream

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Buttered Egg Noodles

1½ pounds wide egg noodles

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Kosher salt, for the cooking water

Freshly chopped parsley or chives, optional

A Few Notes About the Ingredients

Beef tenderloin: I use trimmed beef tenderloin for this version. I've also made this recipe using sirloin steak, and it works well too.

Mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms are my preference. They have a little more flavor than white button mushrooms and work beautifully with the beef.

White wine: A dry white wine adds acidity and flavor. If you prefer not to cook with wine, substitute a little additional beef stock.

Egg noodles: I like wide egg noodles for Stroganoff. They're especially good with the mushroom sauce, or the no-mushroom sauce for those who do not like mushrooms.

How I Make It

Getting everything ready

Start by trimming any remaining silver skin from the beef tenderloin, or any tough connective tissue from the sirloin if using that instead.

Cut the beef into strips or bite-sized pieces, approximately ½–¾ inch thick. Try to keep them reasonably similar in size so they cook evenly.

Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Clean and slice the mushrooms.

Peel and finely dice the onion.

Mince the garlic.

Measure the remaining ingredients so everything is ready before you begin cooking.

Searing the beef

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add a little olive oil and butter.

Once the skillet is hot, add some of the beef in a single layer. Don't crowd the pan. It's better to cook in several batches.

Sear the beef briefly on each side until browned.

Transfer the beef to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces, adding a little more oil if needed.

Keep the beef and any juices that collect on the plate. We'll add them to the sauce in the Dutch oven.

Cooking the mushrooms

In the same skillet, add some of the butter and olive oil reserved for the sauce.

Add the sliced mushrooms.

Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

At first, the mushrooms will release quite a bit of moisture. Keep cooking until that moisture evaporates and the mushrooms begin to brown.

Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to cook the mushrooms in batches.

I don't want the mushrooms steamed. I want them nicely browned because that's where much of their flavor develops.

Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl.

Cooking the onion and garlic

Place the Dutch oven over medium heat.

Add the remaining butter and olive oil for the sauce, as needed.

Add the diced onion and cook for approximately 5–7 minutes until softened.

Stir occasionally.

Add the minced garlic and cook for approximately 30–60 seconds.

Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Making the sauce in the Dutch oven

Sprinkle the flour over the cooked onions.

Stir for about one minute to cook the flour.

If using white wine, pour it into the Dutch oven and stir.

Gradually add the beef stock while stirring or whisking so the sauce remains smooth.

Add the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and sweet paprika.

Stir to combine.

Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.

Allow it to cook for approximately 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thicken.

The sauce should be rich and creamy enough to coat the back of a spoon, but not overly thick.

If it's too thick, add a little more beef stock.

If there are browned bits left in the skillet from cooking the beef and mushrooms, you can loosen them with a little warm stock and add that liquid to the Dutch oven for extra flavor.

Adding the mushrooms

Add the cooked mushrooms to the sauce in the Dutch oven.

Stir gently.

Let everything simmer together for another 3–5 minutes.

Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

If you're making a mushroom-free portion, separate some of the sauce before adding the mushrooms. Keep that portion in its own saucepan or Dutch oven.

Adding the beef to the Dutch oven

Add the seared beef and any accumulated juices to the sauce in the Dutch oven. If you kept a mushroom-free portion separate, divide the beef and juices between the two pots.

Stir gently so the beef is coated in the sauce.

Keep the heat at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil.

The beef will finish cooking in the sauce. Because it was already seared, it shouldn't take very long.

Stir occasionally and check the beef as it cooks.

For food safety, cook the beef to an appropriate safe temperature. The USDA recommends 145°F with a three-minute rest for whole cuts of beef.

Once the beef is cooked, remove the Dutch oven from the heat if you're not serving immediately.

Adding the sour cream

When you're ready to finish the dish, make sure the sauce is hot, then reduce the heat to low.

Place the sour cream in a bowl and stir in a few spoonfuls of warm sauce. This helps bring the sour cream closer to the temperature of the sauce.

Add the sour cream mixture back into the Dutch oven and stir gently until incorporated. If you kept a mushroom-free portion separate, divide the sour cream mixture between the two pots.

Don't let the sauce come to a hard boil after adding the sour cream.

Taste again and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Cooking the egg noodles

While the Stroganoff is finishing, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add the egg noodles and cook according to the package instructions until tender.

Drain well.

Return them to the pot and add the butter.

Toss gently until the noodles are coated.

I prefer keeping the noodles separate from the Stroganoff until serving. That way, they don't absorb too much sauce while everyone is getting ready to eat.

Serving

Place a generous portion of buttered egg noodles on each plate.

Spoon the Beef Stroganoff over the noodles.

Finish with a little freshly chopped parsley or chives if you like.

I serve it with a green salad or cooked green beans.

Preparing Ahead

I prepared mine the evening before the birthday celebration, which made dinner for 26 much easier to manage.

After searing the beef and preparing the sauce in the Dutch oven, I added the beef to the sauce to finish cooking. I did not add the sour cream until the following day, after the Beef Stroganoff was reheated, about 30 minutes before serving.

If you're making the dish ahead, cool the cooked Stroganoff promptly and transfer it to shallow, airtight containers for refrigeration. Leaving a large quantity in a deep Dutch oven can slow cooling considerably.

Refrigerate within two hours.

The next day, reheat the Stroganoff until it reaches 165°F throughout. Stir gently as it warms and add a little beef stock if the sauce has thickened too much.

Once it's thoroughly reheated, reduce the heat to low and stir in the sour cream.

Don't boil the sauce after adding the sour cream.

Cook the egg noodles shortly before serving and toss them with butter.

A Note About Cooking for a Crowd

I made this for 26 guests, and the recipe sizes up very well.

For a gathering that large, I use a 15.5-quart Dutch oven. I've also used two pans, and that works well too.

The beef needs to be seared in batches so it browns properly rather than steaming.

I also cook the mushrooms in batches and use large Dutch ovens to make the sauce and finish cooking the beef.

It's important to have enough sauce, particularly when serving with egg noodles.

The noodles are best prepared close to dinner.

If you're preparing a large batch, allow extra time for searing the beef and mushrooms. Tripling the quantities doesn't mean the cooking will take exactly the same amount of time.

A Few Things I've Learned

Pat the beef dry before searing. Wet beef doesn't brown as well.

Don't overcrowd the pan. Cooking in batches is worth the extra time.

Let the mushrooms cook until their moisture evaporates and they begin to brown.

I make the sauce in the Dutch oven and add the beef to finish cooking there. It's easier to manage, particularly when I'm making a large quantity.

Add the sour cream at the end and keep the heat low. If I'm making it in advance, I don't add it until the next day after reheating.

Keep the noodles separate until you're ready to serve.

When cooking for a crowd, preparing the Stroganoff ahead makes the evening considerably easier.

I like serving this with a green salad. Green beans work well too. The rich sauce and buttered noodles are wonderful, and I like having some vegetables alongside them.

Food Safety & Allergens

This recipe contains milk, wheat and egg through the butter, sour cream, flour and egg noodles.

Worcestershire sauce may contain fish from anchovies. Check the label if serving someone with a fish allergy.

Check packaged stock, mustard and noodles for any additional allergens.

Store raw beef separately from ready-to-eat foods and wash utensils, hands and cutting boards after handling it.

For whole cuts of beef, the USDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F followed by a three-minute rest.

Keep the finished dish hot for serving, at 140°F or above if holding it for an extended period.

Do not leave the Stroganoff at room temperature for more than two hours.

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow, airtight containers and use within 3–4 days.

Reheat leftovers to 165°F. Warm gently and stir occasionally to help prevent the sour cream sauce from separating.