Beef Stroganoff [Dairy free, Gluten free, Grains free, Sugar free]

This is a dish that I particularly enjoyed experimenting with - making it a few times for a very critical and well-travelled dinner guest, trying out a combination of recipes that I sourced on various Paleo, Non-Paleo and Low carb internet forums and my very own cookbook on complete South African cooking given to me by a Pal, looking to create a Stroganoff sauce that is pretty close to the real thing in a sour-cream based source.

I tried the cashew nut sour cream version which worked very well with the mushrooms, creating the almost perfect taste but it lacked the enhanced creamy sauciness that a stroganoff requires.  In making this recipe where I used a combination of coconut cream and coconut milk with a touch of freshly squeezed lime juice, I got a pretty close match to the real thing.

Ideally a Beef Stroganoff is served with a high carbohydrate base, generally pasta or rice.  With this recipe a variety of low carbohydrate options could be used, from baby marrow pasta, to sweet potato pasta, to cauliflower rice or cauliflower mash, even zhooshed up brocolli mash! Butternut mashed or spiralized into pasta is also an option, as is aubergines(brinjals).  The possibilities are endless and is dependent on the type of meal you want to create.

Beef stock is the stock you would want to use in this recipe and it saw me wanting for it as we don't consume beef in our home hence the need for it is rarely required.  Home made stock, preservative and sugar free is preferable and I  used the next best available stock which I have a large frozen quantity of in lamb stock. I'd imagine chicken or vegetable stock would work well too!

The preparation of the steak (I used Tenderloin), is much the same as that of the chicken in my Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe,which is steak dipped in beaten egg and lightly rolled in a combination of seasoned tapioca and if you prefer, almond or coconut flour and shallow flash fried for a minute or two on high stove top heat, until the coating turns lightly golden brown.  An option used successfully previously, is to brown the seasoned steak without flour in about a tablespoon of coconut oil and desired spices.  

This recipe is versatile in its preparation but delivering the taste of a hearty Beef Stroganoff - another fine Winter warmer of a meal!

Ingredients

500g tenderloin or sirloin steak , cut into strips about 5cm long
1 tblsp coconut oil or olive oil for browning the steak
1-2 2 tblsp ghee or olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
250g finely sliced white mushrooms
1-1 1/2 cups beef stock, home made, preservatives and sugar free
1/2 cup coconut milk, preservatives and sugar free
1/2 - 1 cup coconut cream, preservatives and sugar free
chopped fresh dill or parsley for garnish
1-2 eggs, beaten
3-5 tblsp tapioca flour
Himalayan or Sea salt, paprika (if preferred) and freshly ground black pepper to taste and season the tapioca flour
fresh lime juice of 1/2 - 1 lime
1 tsp arrow root powder or tapioca flour to 1/4 cup warm water, mixed very well to thicken the sauce, if required
Optional
1 tblsp Dijon mustard  (preservative and sugar free) to replace the lime juice, 
garlic and / or onion powder, cayenne pepper and paprika to to season the steak
Thyme fresh or dried and other herbs to season the sauce 
Zest of a lime

Here's How

• Season the steak as per your requirements, you may  dip in egg and lightly roll in the season tapioca flour and flash fry on high heat in a flat based pot or deep, flat frying pan,  in coconut flour to seal and brown the meat for a minute or two. Remove the meat and set aside.

 

 

• Add your choice of oil to the same pan or pot, (I had to change pans as the original was too shallow!) add in the onions and fry for two minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have browned.

 

• Now add the stock and coconut milk and mix well, to infuse the bits of the meat that you browned earlier that may be remaining in the pot.  Bring to a boil for 5-8 minutes

 

• Add in the coconut cream and lime juice or dijon mustard and lime zest, if using, whisk briskly and allow to boil for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce.

 

• Add in the flash-fried steak, including the pan juices that have developed.  Mix well and cook for a further 5 minutes to combine the sauce and meat.

• Season with salt to taste and garnish as desired.
• Serve with your low carb vegetable of choice and / or a crisp salad.

Beef Stroganoff on Garlic Baby Marrow Zoodles