ISO help/tips cooking thin beef strips for stroganoff

[giggler]

I an having difficulty with the meat for Stroganoff..

I use Sirloin, cut into "strips"..

If I cut them "thin" like 1/4 inch.. and Brown them and remove from pan to "rest" then add them back to the Sauce they come out very Tender and sort of "pink" in the Middle...

My SO family from Kansas think "these are too thin"..
They are big "Beef Eaters" and like the strips as wide as my Thumb...

So I can't get the strips of beef tender...

Last Night I let them "Stew" for a Whole Hour while we watched Nascar.. this actually worked well and was a big hit... but I found them to be a l bit Dry..

how can you cook Beef Strips to Tender without being Dry?...

Maybe I should use another Cut of Beef?..

Thanks, Eric, Austin Tx.

 

[Jeekinz]

It may be the cut of beef you're using. Some sirloins are tough, some are tender. Try using a strip steak or top sirloin. You could add tenderizer too.

Your original recipe sounds great with the thin cut meat and sauce. Make sure you cut the meat perpendicular to the grain.

 

[Wart]

Make sure you cut the meat perpendicular to the grain.

That was my fiirst thought, may not be as much the cut of meat as the cutting of the meat.

 

[auntdot]

If someone is nice enough to cook me a meal I do not gripe about it.

Far from it, I always praise it and thank the cook.

That being said, I would keep the thicker cut sirloin on the rarer side. Rare meat is tender.

Jiust my take on things.

 

[Jeekinz]

That being said, I would keep the thicker cut sirloin on the rarer side. Rare meat is tender.

Jiust my take on things.

Not necessarily. Rare meat will be tough until the perfect temperature, then the connective tissue breaks down and it becomes tender. Over cooked, it will become tough again.

To reach the "perfect temperature" depends on the cut and grade of meat.

Medium to medium rare is an acceptable benchmark. A rare strip will be tougher than a medium strip. IMO

 

[giggler]

How to "cut across the grain"

How does one cut Sirloin "across the grain"? It seems to me that a Sirloin is already cut at a slice across the muscle of.. is it the thigh of the leg? so the grain would be already be up/down as the steak is on the plate...

Mine are usually sort of a wide oval in shape, and to me it seems that either way I slice into strips looks about the same..

Or do you like "cut on the Bias" at an angle?

Thanks, Eric.

 

[chefa1a]

Tender Beef

well either like you said you have to cook them a little rare and take them out

or get some stew beef and cook it for a few hours in a crock pot to make it tender


or you could try marinading in meat tenderizer (they normally do contain MSG) and if marinated too long make the meat turn to mush

next time you go to buy the beef ask what cuts your butcher has and tell him your application

When I make beef stew or Stroganoff I wouldn't use tenderloin, I would get sirloin tips, bottom round or chuck

 

[Andy M.]

Stroganov is not a slow cooked stew kind of dish. Tender pieces of meat are intended to be cooked quickly (as you would a steak) then be added to the sauce with sour cream, onions and mushrooms.

I typically use sirloin strip for this but tenderloin would not be an unreasonable choice.

 

[chefa1a]

Stroganoff

Stroganofff is a variation of a Russian recipe from the early 20th century.

Alot of the Russian recipes used braised meats cooked for significant periods of time

I have seen versions use the tail and butt pieces from beef tenderloin and sirloin and they are cooked a shorter amount of time.

I have also seen versions of Beef Stroganoff cooked for longer periods using stew beef, ground beef and even sausage.

There are always variations of recipes and often cooks take their own creative license using on hand ingredients.

I was just trying to point out some help for the original question