Gale Gordon's Beef Stroganoff Supreme

Gale Gordon's Beef Stroganoff Supreme

1/2 cup sweet butter
3 tbsps. peanut oil or fine-grade light vegetable oil
3/4 lbs. fresh mushrooms, cleaned
3 tbsps. shallots
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs. lean, boneless, top grade beef filet
1 cup beef broth
1/3 cup Madeira wine
2 tbsps. medium-dry sherry
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. tarragon
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
Beurre manié (2 tsps. flour, 1 tsp. sweet butter)
1 1/2 cups dairy sour cream
Fresh parsley sprigs

Melt 3 tbsps. butter in heavy skillet. Add half the peanut or vegetable oil. Slice mushrooms; saute in butter and oil until lightly browned over low heat. Add shallots, salt and pepper to taste.

Cook 1 minute over low heat; remove from heat and reserve. Trim off all fat from meat; slice into strips no more than 1/4-inch thick, cutting across the grain of beef with sharp knife. Melt remaining butter and peanut oil in heavy skillet.

Saute beef quickly over high heat, a few pieces at a time. Do not overcook. Remove to heated platter. Add beef broth to pan with Madeira and sherry. Cook, stirring over high heat until volume is reduced by half. Add Worcestershire sauce and herbs.

Combine flour and butter, form into pea-sized balls and add them to the skillet. Add only as much as needed to thicken sauce slightly. Reduce heat to lowest possible flame, stir in sour cream, mushrooms, shallots and beef.

Heat a few minutes but do not boil. Taste to correct seasonings. Serve at once over hot buttered noodles or rice.

Thoughts: Recipe can be varied. Dry vermouth works well in place of Madeira and sherry if a tarter sauce is desired. Can be made with lean lamb or veal, too. Recipe is deliciously different, as it is not made with tomato paste. A touch of Tabasco and Dijon mustard gives stroganoff a sharp flavor.