A Night for Something Comforting...

We're both feeling tired and just a bit under the weather, so we wanted some simple comfort food. Its a dish we got from my mother, that she called "Beef Stroganoff", though it has only the vaguest resemblance to the real Russian dish. We've added a couple or three things to the recipe over the years. Regardless of provenance, we find it very tasty and comforting...and ridiculously easy. Here it is...

"Not quite" Beef Stroganoff

1 pound round steak or London broil, thinly sliced into bite-size pieces, or more if desired
Unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 10.5-ounce cans beef consomme
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound wide egg noodles
2 cups sour cream

Toss the sliced beef in the flour, to coat. Shake off any excess flour. Place the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the steak and cook until it begins to brown, stirring often. Add the onion and garlic powder, black pepper, consomme (do not add water), ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens, about thirty minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the egg noodles and cook until al dente, according to package instructions (usually about 7-10 minutes). Drain.

Remove the sauce from the heat. Add the sour cream and stir until thoroughly combined. Add the egg noodles and toss until the noodles are coated with the sauce. Serve.

Serve with a big green salad. Makes about 8 servings.

Options: If you want a more authentic feel to the dish, you could add some sliced mushrooms to the sauce. For a really authentic feel...use filet mignon instead of round steak. We've occasionally added a handful or two of petite green peas to the dish. My mother always added some poppy seeds when tossing the sauce and noodles.