01-09-13-filet-stroganoff

My impulse-buy of the week was a 5 1/2 lb tenderloin roast on Monday. There was a huge refrigerated bin of them, marked down from their original $20-something a pound to $8-something a pound. I looked through them and found one I liked for a mere $40.00. I picked it up, put it back, picked it up, put it back, picked it up and kept walking. It was a bit steep but I figured I’d be getting numerous meals from it. I brought it home and cut it into 8 steaks plus steak tips for another meal. $8 per meal is still not cheap, but that’s what impulse buys are all about. Plus it was completely trimmed – no waste. At the original $120 I wouldn’t have even stopped to look.

It was less expensive than the lobster for the risotto.

So… wanting a steak but not wanting any ol’ steak got the gastronomic mind working. I remembered a beef stroganoff idea from Gourmet magazine using steaks instead of strips of beef. A meal was born.

I pan-seared the steaks in a bit of olive oil and set them off to the side.

Into the pan went a pat of butter and 8 ounces of sliced baby bella mushrooms. I browned them well and then added a quarter-cup of brandy. I cooked it down and then added a cup of beef broth and cooked it down to about a half-cup.

Into this, I added a 16oz container of sour cream, a sprinkling of garlic powder, and salt and pepper.

I cooked off some wide egg noodles and mixed the sauce with them. Onto the plate they went, the steak on top, and a bit of sauce on top of that.

Peas on the side.

The steaks were good. Really good. It was a simple meal that dirtied four pans and made an ever-so-slight mess on the stove. I won’t mention the “oops” I made stirring the sauce and sending a sauce-covered mushroom halfway across the kitchen.

It’s a gift I have. Just ask Victor.