Brazilian-Style Beef Strogonoff

This is a brazilian favorite and one of our family's too! Beef strogonoff comes in a flavor-rich heavy cream sauce, with a touch of ketchup, mustard and soy sauce, along with chopped mushrooms. It is perfect when served with white rice, potato sticks and a green salad. I particularly am not very fond of mushrooms, so I leave it out of the recipe when I make it for my picky eaters at home, but I am posting the original recipe for this brazilian dish. Enjoy!

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon butter (for filet mignon)
• 2  tablespoons butter (for mushrooms)
• 2  lbs  filet mignon or 2  lbs beef tenderloin steaks, cut into small cubes and seasoned with salt and black pepper to taste
• 1  onion, medium-sized and chopped
• 1⁄2 lb mushroom, slivered
• 5  tablespoons soy sauce
• 1  fluid ounce cognac
• 12  ounces  table cream (the Nestle table cream is preferred for this recipe and it can be found in the international isle at) or 12  ounces heavy cream (the Nestle table cream is preferred for this recipe and it can be found in the international isle at)
• 5  tablespoons ketchup
• 2  tablespoons mustard
• 1  tablespoon flour
• 12  ounces milk

Directions

1. Season filet mignon with salt and pepper to taste. In a medium pan, sauté seasoned filet mignon in high heat with butter. Reserve.
2. In a bigger pan, brown onion with butter and then add the mushrooms and the reserved steak. Let it cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the soy sauce and the cognac (heated), and singe it.
4. In a bowl, mix the table cream, ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper to taste and the flour dissolved in milk, and add this mixture to the steak and mushrooms and let it cook for 5-8 more minutes in medium heat until the sauce incorporates and thickens.
5. Turn off heat and serve the strogonoff with potato sticks, white rice and a nice salad.
6. TIPS:
7. Beef: let the steak rest about 1-2 hours, out of the fridge before preparing the dish. The beef has to sauté and not cook, so it is best to brown it in high heat and don't let it release too much juice in the pan, preserving its color, moisture and flavor.
8. Heating up the cognac: Get a coffee cup half full of hot water and set a snifter across the top. It will heat it perfectly. Heating it in a microwave (no more than 5 seconds), open flame or steam should all produce the same end result.
9. Table cream: to take the watery part of the canned table cream, let the can sit in the fridge for about 4 hours prior to using it, and when you open the can, it will be easier to separate the cream from the runny part. In doing that, the strogonoff will be creamier and thicker.
10. If you use the fresh heavy cream, let the sauce cook for a little more to thicken.
11. To freeze: this recipe can be made and frozen but do not add the table cream when freezing. After taking the prepared steak out of the freezer, add the table cream and heat it up prior to serving.)
12. You may substitute steak for chicken breast, shrimp, cod fish, and sliced tuna.