Braised Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

o  1 package (approx. 1 lb) Grass-fed Beef Cubes

o  8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

o  1 medium yellow onion, halved then sliced

o  3-4 cloves garlic, minced

o  2 cups beef bone broth or beef stock

o  1 cup sour cream

o  2 oz. cream cheese, softened (optional, see notes)

o  3 Tbsp. flour, divided

o  3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (see notes)

o  2 Tbsp. whole grain Dijon mustard

o  2 Tbsp. high-temp cooking oil or tallow

o  1 Tbsp. butter

o  1 bay leaf

o  ¼ tsp. smoked paprika

o  Kosher or sea salt and black pepper

o  Cooked egg noodles or substitute for serving

Directions:

1.   Slowly preheat Dutch oven to medium-high on the stove. Preheat oven to 300-degrees.

2.      Remove beef cubes from package and pat dry. Season well with salt and pepper, along with the smoked paprika. Toss to coat with 1 Tbsp. flour.

3.      Heat 1 Tbsp oil and quickly sear half of the cubes, turning to brown all sides. Remove to a plate.

4.      Add last Tbsp of oil and repeat with remaining cubes. Remove to the plate.

5.      To the pot, add onions and butter and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until they begin to soften. 

6.      Add mushrooms, garlic and balsamic. Cook for another minute or two, or until the harsh vinegar smell has begun to dissipate. 

7.      Reduce heat to medium. Stir in remaining 2 Tbsp flour and continue to cook for another 3 minutes, stirring often. 

8.      Add beef cubes to the pot, along with the mustard, beef stock and the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.

9.      Stir well, place the lid on the Dutch oven and put into the preheated oven for 1 hour 45 minutes.

10.  When cooking time has ended, carefully check for the doneness of the beef. At this point, it should be fork tender, but still in cube form. If you’d like it to shred apart on it’s own, cook for another 30 minutes. 

11.  Remove the bay leaf and stir in cream cheese (if using) and sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy! 

Notes:

• The addition of cream cheese makes this dish more rich and creamy - add if you prefer a more bold sauce.
• This recipe was made to be soy-free by substituting balsamic vinegar for the more common Worcestershire or soy sauces, though we will never go back after trying this! Feel free to use one of those options if you wish, using only 2 Tbsp. in place of the balsamic.
• To make this dish in advance, simply refrigerate after step 10. Reheat before adding the cream cheese and sour cream.
• To make this recipe in a crock pot, follow instructions using a large cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan then transfer to a crock pot on low for 4-6 hours.