Beef Stroganoff

Privet, and welcome to another Dan-O-Myte recipe with this beef Stroganoff! This classic Russian dish has been a favorite around the world for over a 100 years, and for good reason. Creamy sauce with mushrooms, onions, and juicy beef strips with just the right amount of sour cream and egg noodles gives way to a flavor sensation unlike anything else. One of the reasons this dish is so popular is because it's easy to make, and most of the ingredients are pantry staples. Dan-O’s Crunchy adds a special savory flair to this dish, and makes an unforgettable rendition of beef Stroganoff.

History of Beef Stroganoff

While many attribute beef stroganoff to the French, it’s actually a Russian dish. The name originates from one of the members of the Stroganovs, a family of successful Russian merchants, industrialists, and statesmen. The Stroganovs were some of the richest businessmen in Russia during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, financing the Russian conquest of Siberia, and the reconquest of Moscow from the Poles. The dish is a refined version of several older Russian dishes. It first appeared in Elena Molokhovets classic 1871 Russian cookbook A Gift to Young Housewives as Govadina po-stroganovsky or Beef à la Stroganov, with mustard.

This original recipe involves a few differences from the modern recipe we know and love. First, the recipe uses beef cubes rather than strips, and those are prepared in a dry marinade of salt and allspice before being sautéed in butter. The sauce is also made from a roux and prepared mustard, and a little broth before being finished with a small amount of sour cream. The recipe features no onions, mushrooms, or alcohol. In 1891, the French chef Charles Brière submitted their version of beef Stroganoff to a L'Art culinaire competition. This led the encyclopedia of gastronomy, L'Art culinaire, to attribute him as the inventor of the dish.

Flash forward to 1909, another recipe emerges this time with onions, and tomato sauce. This recipe is also served with potato straws, which was the traditional side dish for beef Stroganoff in Russia. In 1938, Larousse Gastronomique’s recipe includes beef strips, onions, and either mustard or tomato paste. When the Tsarist Russia fell, the recipe became a staple in hotels and restaurants in China before World War 2. Russian and Chinese immigrants, along with American servicemen stationed in pre-Communist China, brought their own unique versions of beef Stroganoff to America. This led to the dish's rising popularity during the 50s. By the 1960s, American manufacturers were introducing dehydrated beef stroganoff mixes in stores continuing the dish’s rise in popularity to the modern day.