VELVETY BEEF STROGANOFF

Steps:

• Slice beef very thinly across the grain and place in ceramic or glass bowl.
• Mix together the baking soda and 1/4 cup water, then pour it over the beef. Stir well and let sit for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter into oil and sauté onions on low heat for about 10 minutes until golden. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook another 10 minutes (add a little wine for moisture if needed).
• Remove the sliced beef from the bowl and rinse it well under running cold water in a colander; let drain.
• Add well-drained beef to the cooked mushroom mixture and sauté another 10 minutes. Please note that when you add the beef it will make the sauce foam - this is to be expected and will subside somewhat.
• Sprinkle flour in and stir until everything is coated.
• Dissolve the granulated bouillon (or two cubes) in the 1 cup hot water, and add this plus the Worcestershire, bay leaf, wine, paprika, and white pepper to the meat mixture.
• Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, tasting it periodically until any "floury" taste is gone.
• When you are close to serving, take it off the heat and add the sour cream, careful not to curdle, and stir well. Remove the bay leaf.
• Serve with cooked noodles or rice (or for those eating lowcarb, lots of sautéed mushrooms).
• The stroganoff can also be made with venison for a tasty variation! Various cuts of beef can be used - use whatever you have, but make sure to slice it thinly across the grain - steaks, roast, tenderloin (I usually end up with approximately 1-inch strips that are about 3 or 4 inches long).
• The "secret" in this recipe that makes it so special is treatment of the meat with the baking soda. It ensures a wonderfully tender and velvety beef (you can use the same process with your Mongolian Beef recipe to get the same texture that the restaurants achieve).