Black Pepper Stroganoff Stew
- in association with -
The Royal Canadian Society of Fauns & Satyrs
- presents -
Black Pepper Stroganoff Stew
- and -
Dinner For Six
Hearty Fare
Name Brand
Guy Friendly
- by -
Vitruvius
Redaction 1.1, February 2, 1997
Woodman's Traditional Seafood Sauce Christie's Vegetable Thins Crackers Pilsner Beer |
Rice-a-Roni (Chicken Flavour) Parmesian Toast French Bordeaux |
Planter's Salted Cashews Semi-Sweet Chocolate Port |
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Construction, Day 0
Complete this 12 to 24 hours before dinner. There is about two hours of work here, plus an additional hour or two of very slow cooking that you need only check occasionally.
0.0.1 Clarify 2oz butter. Get it hot (you can nuke it), let it separate, and skim off the foam. Put it aside in a glass and let it settle.
0.0.2 Chush/Grind/Crack 3tbsp of fresh black peppercorns into 1/3 to 1/2 size corns. A power mill can be used to advantage here. Reserve to the side in a glass.
0.0.3 Carve 3lbs of top stew beef into rougly 1/2" x 1/2" x 3/4" rectangular prisms. Take extra precaution to remove all signs of fat and grizzle--we want this beef to melt in your mouth. Standard: keep all red meat, remove all white bits. This can be tricky even with a good butcher's knife, plan for 20 to 30 minutes. You'll need a cutting board and a side platter here.
0.0.4 Coat the beef in 2tbsp of the crushed peppercorns, as if you were preparing pepper steak.
0.1.0 In a large heavy saucepan, complete the following operations on the beef in four stages, one-quarter of the beef at a time. You will need a large heavy pot (about 8qt) to the side.
0.1.1 In 1tbsp of clarified butter, brown 1/4 of the beef coated in crushed peppercorns. Use medium-high heat and brown until meat is greying through and edges are crisping brown.
0.1.2 With a slotted spoon remove the meat to the large pot. Discard the liquid in the pan, repeat until 4/4 done.
0.1.3 When all the beef is in the pot, add 20 oz of condensed beef and/or chicken stock to the pot, and 2 cups of water. Slowly bring to a boil, while doing so continue...
0.2.1 Fry four rashers of smoked bacon in the pan to cook off the excess fat. Stop frying before crisp. Chop bacon into 1/2" wide sub-strips and toss into pot. Pour off and discard the lard, but do not clean the pan.
0.2.2 While bacon is frying or shortly thereafter, chop 1 cup of red onions and 1 cup of white onions into segments about 1" long.
0.3.1 When the bacon is finished, start frying the onions in 2tbsp of clarified butter. Cook on medium heat until translucent, but do not brown. Toss cooked onions in the pot.
0.3.2 While onions are cooking or shortly thereafter, combine these ingredients in 2 cup measuring cup, and whisk generously:
- 2tsp salt
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
- 1tbsp Grey Pupon Dijon Mustard
- 2tsp Woodman's Regular Prepared Horseradish
- 2tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
- 8oz red wine
0.3.3 When the onions are finished frying and the pan is still very hot, deglaze with the wine and spice mixture. Bring to a boil and cook for two minutes. Return the cooked mixture to the mesuring cup.
0.3.4 Add 1/2 of the cooked wine and spices to the pot. Use a tablespoon to divide up the solid matter. Reserve the remainder in a covered glass until tomorrow, refrigerate.
0.3.5 Continue to bring the pot to a boil, and keep it in a slow boil for the next hour. While the beef, onions, and spices are cooking, add the follwing items.
0.4.1 Chop 4 cups of the thinnest skinned potatoes you can find into roughly 1/2" cubes. I like the red ones. Don't peel them (blecch), just rinse them off. Toss them into the pot.
0.4.2 Chop up 1/4 cup of celery (2-3 stalks) into 1/4" cubes. Add to pot.
0.4.3 Chop 4 green onion stalks into rings. Add to pot.
0.4.4 Add 4 - 6 oz of Green Giant Niblets Corn (1/2 medium can) to pot.
0.4.5 Remove bulk of stems from brown and white mushrooms, and slice buttons into 1/3s, until you have 1 cup each of brown and white. Add to pot.
0.5.1 Make sure stock just covers the solid matter in the pot, then simmer on very slow heat for an hour or two. Do not burn.
0.5.2 After the pot has simmered for an hour or two, kill the heat and let it cool. After a couple more hours you can refrigerate it.
Construction, Day 1
Roughly 2 hours before your guests arrive (say 3 hours before serving the main course), begin the following checklist...
t - 120m
Skim solid fats off cold stew and discard. Bring stew to a boil without burning it (this takes 1/2 hour if stew was refrigerated).
Adjust spices to taste using reserved mixture from yesterday. I added about half the reserve.
Add one more can of stock and one more cup of water (liquid should cover contents by about 1/2" or less, to make enough thick sauce).
Mix 2tbsp corn starch and 2oz cold water. Add to boiling stew while stirring. Reduce to very slow simmer and keep it there.
t - 60m
Prepare shrimp and sauce on platter, cover, refrigerate.
Open wine, do not decant. Prepare table, serving dishes.
t - 0 (Just after guests are settled.)
Serve shrimp, sauce, crackers, beer.
Scheduled Hold
You can delay here until your guests are ready.
Once you continue we call it t + 30m, you are on the critical path, and we are 30m from dinner.
t + 30m
Start two boxes of Rice-a-Roni. You need four or five tablespoons of butter in a large heavy frying pan. Brown on high stirring constantly till you've almost got a burn, then add 5 cups of hot water. Do not burn your arm on the steam generated! Don't forget the seasoning packets! Simmer till t+60m stirring every few minutes.
Oven to 400F.
t + 40m
Extract a cup of stew liquid, whisk in 4oz sour cream, return to pot while stirring. Do not boil from now on. Throw in 2tsp of the crushed black peppercorns held in reserve.
Cut bread into 3/4" slices, then into halves or thirds (about one slice per person). Grate enough parmesan to just sprinkle on the toast (say 20% coverage).
t + 50m
Toast the bread lightly in the oven. Butter it and sprinkle on the cheese. Broil till cheese just melts. Watch all this very carefully; the bread will try to burn.
t + 60m
Invite guests to the table. Serve the stew, rice-a-roni, and toast to the table in large dishes. Don't forget the serving spoons. Pour the wine. (Note: serve the stew beside the Rice-a-Roni, not on it.)
Afters
On a cutting board server the asagio cheese, cashews, and broken-up chocolate with a cheese knife. Serve the port. Fingers are correct.
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