Beef Stroganoff facts for kids
A plate of beef Stroganoff with rice
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| Course | Main |
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| Place of origin | Russian Empire |
| Region or state | Eastern Europe |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Beef, smetana (sour cream) |
| Variations | (outside Russia): Chicken Stroganoff, sausage Stroganoff, mushroom Stroganoff, shrimp Stroganoff |
Beef Stroganoff is a popular and tasty dish that started in Russia. It features tender pieces of beef cooked quickly, often called sautéed. These beef pieces are served in a rich sauce. The sauce is usually made with mustard and a type of sour cream called smetana.
This dish first appeared in the mid-1800s in Russia. Since then, it has become famous all over the world. Many different versions of the original recipe exist today. You'll often find mushrooms added in many of these variations.
History of Beef Stroganoff
The dish gets its name from a very important Russian family, the Stroganov family. Some stories say that French chefs working for this family created the dish. However, many food experts believe it's a fancier version of older Russian recipes.
The first known recipe for Beef Stroganoff appeared in 1871. It was in a famous Russian cookbook by Elena Molokhovets. Her recipe used beef cubes, not strips. The beef was seasoned with salt and pepper, then cooked in butter.
The sauce was simple. It was made from a roux (a mix of fat and flour) blended with mustard and broth. A little sour cream was added at the end. This early recipe did not include onions, mushrooms, or alcohol.
In 1891, a French chef named Charles Brière shared a recipe for beef Stroganoff. He was working in Saint Petersburg, Russia, at the time. He entered his recipe in a cooking contest. Because of this, some people thought he invented the dish. But we know the recipe and name existed before his entry.
Later, in 1909, another recipe for Beef Stroganoff appeared. This version added onions and tomato sauce. It was often served with crispy potato straws. These potato straws are still seen as the traditional side dish in Russia.
The 1938 edition of Larousse Gastronomique, a famous French food encyclopedia, also included a recipe. This one used beef strips and onions. It said you could add mustard or tomato paste if you wanted.
After the October Revolution in Russia, the dish became popular in China. It was served in many hotels and restaurants there before World War II. Russian and Chinese people who moved to the United States helped make it popular there. This is why it became so well-known in the 1950s.
In the late 1950s, it also arrived in Hong Kong. Russian restaurants there served it with rice, but often without sour cream. In the 1960s, many companies in the United States started selling instant beef Stroganoff mixes. You just added cooked beef and sour cream to these mixes. You could even find freeze-dried versions for campers!
Beef Stroganoff Around the World
How Beef Stroganoff is made can be very different depending on where you are. It also changes based on the type of meat and seasonings used. The beef can be cut in many ways. Sometimes it's diced into small cubes, or cut into thin strips.
Some versions of the dish include mushrooms and onions. Other vegetables might be added too. People also use different seasonings like sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bottled marinades, especially Worcestershire sauce, are also common.
In the United States, restaurants often serve Beef Stroganoff with beef strips. It comes with a sauce made from mushrooms, onions, and sour cream. This version is usually served over egg noodles or rice.
In British pubs, you might find a version with a creamy white wine sauce. However, more traditional versions are often red stews. These are served with a separate scoop of sour cream on top.
The famous Larousse Gastronomique describes Stroganoff as a recipe with cream, paprika, veal stock, and white wine.
In Brazil, the dish is called Strogonoff or Estrogonofe. It uses diced beef or strips of beef, often filet mignon. The sauce includes tomato sauce, onions, mushrooms, and heavy cream. Brazilians also make Stroganoff with chicken or even shrimp instead of beef. It's usually served with white rice and thin, crispy potato fries.
Stroganoff is also very popular in Nordic countries. In Sweden, a common type is korv Stroganoff. Korv means sausage, so it uses a local sausage called falukorv instead of beef. In Finland, it's called makkara-stroganoff, which means sausage Stroganoff. Beef Stroganoff is also common there. Chopped pickled cucumbers are often added to Finnish Stroganoff.
Stroganoff is also popular in Japan. There, it's most often served with white rice. Sometimes the rice is seasoned with parsley and butter. Its popularity grew a lot when "instant sauce cubes" became available. These cubes contain dried seasonings and thickeners. You just add them to water, onion, beef, and mushrooms to make a Stroganoff-style sauce. Japanese home recipes sometimes add ingredients not found in traditional Russian versions, like small amounts of soy sauce.
See also
In Spanish: Ternera Strogonoff para niños
