Beef with Mushroom-Cream Sauce

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December 19, 2007

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It took me approximately three hours to have this dish ready. But the meat that’s almost falling apart in tenderness and swimming in cream sauce (with additional kick from pepper jack cheese) deserves those three hours! Besides, this dish didn’t really require “watching”. After simmering beef top round in onion soup and beef broth for around 2 1/2 hours (It was one tough beef!), the cream sauce wrapped up in around 10 minutes.

Makes 6 Servings

2 lbs beef top round
1 pkg onion soup mix, dissolved in 2 to 3 cups water
4 to 5 cups beef broth
1 onion, finely chopped
8 oz canned button mushrooms, whole
2 tbsps all purpose flour
1 oz butter
1 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream
2-3 slices of pepper jack cheese, or 3 oz grated
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in wide pan or skillet. Lightly brown beef top round on sides.

Dissolve onion soup mix in water. Combine with beef broth. Pour onto skillet. Cover and simmer beef in onion-soup-and-beef-broth mixture until fork-tender, around 1 1/2 to 2 hours, adding more broth or water as necessary.

Remove from heat. Slice to around 1/2 inch thickness. Layer in serving platter. In the pan, saute chopped onions until translucent (or caramelized if preferred). Add and saute button mushrooms until slightly browned. Remove and set aside.

Melt butter in pan and add flour, stirring well until smooth. Add onion-broth mixture, stirring well to prevent lumps. Allow to boil.

Add evaporated milk, stirring constantly. Add pepper jack and parmesan cheese. Continue to stir until cheese is melted and sauce is slightly thickened.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over sliced beef. Top with sauteed onions and mushrooms. Garnish with additional parmesan cheese, if desired.

TIPS:
1) If you want the sauce to be truly absorbed by the meat, layer beef in an oven-proof dish, add mushrooms and onions, pour in sauce, and bake in oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
2) To cut down on prep time, use pre-sliced cuts of beef such as top sirloin. Brown pre-sliced meat and continue with the sauce. I prefer a whole slab as I can control the thickness of the meat by slicing it myself. Also, simmering the beef in onion-soup-and-beef-broth mixture adds dimension to the dish!
3) This is not a “hips” friendly recipe. If you want to cut down on the calories, substitute lowfat milk for the evaporated milk and omit parmesan cheese. But then again, you can enjoy the recipe to the fullest and just make a weight loss New Year’s resolution, just like every year!