Hearty Beef Stroganoff

Friday, first round of the state playoffs. We won, forty-nine to seven, against the eighth seed. The game was over by halftime — we were up thirty-five to nothing. The starters played a half. The second team played most of the third quarter. The third team played the fourth quarter. Diego had two catches and a TD before he was pulled at halftime. Marcus had three TD passes in the half. Daquan had a sack and a fumble recovery. The defense gave up one short touchdown drive late in the game when the third-team defense was out there. The score was a blowout. The kids were efficient and clean. Nobody got hurt. We were healthy going into the semifinals.

The other story of the week was Daquan's recruiting. The SEC offers had stacked up. Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Georgia. The Big Ten was Penn State and Michigan State. The Pac-12, before its dissolution, was USC and Oregon. The latest one came in Friday morning before the game — a verbal offer from Alabama. Daquan called me on his lunch break to tell me. He had been calling me first with his offers, which I think is the highest honor a coaching career can produce — a player's first call when something happens to him is to his coach. I was in my office. I picked up. He said, "Coach, Bama just offered." I said, "Daquan." He said, "Yes, sir." I said, "Listen to me. Whatever you choose, choose because you can see yourself there for four years. Choose because you trust the position coach. Choose because the academics line up. Choose because the family vibe feels right. Do not choose because of the brand. The brand will fade. The four years will not." He said, "Yes, sir." I said, "How is your grandmother." He said, "She is good. She is going to come to the game tonight." I said, "I will save her a seat." He said, "Thanks, Coach." I said, "Get back to lunch. Eat something."

Mrs. Burns came to the game. I had reserved her a seat in the first row of the home-side bleachers, behind the players' bench, where she could see Daquan up close. She came with her sister and two of Daquan's younger cousins. Before the game I went up to the bleachers and shook her hand. She said, "Coach, my baby is going to play in the SEC." I said, "Yes, ma'am, he is." She said, "I am proud." I said, "You should be." She said, "He is going to walk on a stage to sign an offer with Bama on Wednesday." I said, "Mrs. Burns, that is going to be one of the great days of my life as a coach." She said, "Mine too." She squeezed my hand. I went down to the sideline.

The game itself, as I said, was a blowout. The kids did not need anything from me but the game plan. They executed the plan. We rolled. The bigger work of the night was building the energy for next Friday — the semifinal — without burning the team out. I gave a short post-game speech. I said, "Boys. One game. We are one game from a state final. We have not done anything. The team we are about to play is the toughest team you have played this year. They are tough. They are physical. They are going to test you. Get rested. Drink water. Sleep. See you Monday." That was the speech.

Saturday morning I sat with Lisa at the kitchen island. She said, "How do you feel." I said, "Awake." She said, "What does that mean." I said, "I am thinking about every detail. I cannot turn it off. I am okay." She said, "Carlos, the kids — Sofia and the twins — are not seeing much of you right now." I said, "I know." She said, "I am not criticizing. I am noticing." I said, "I will be back in two weeks." She said, "I know." She paused. She said, "I am proud of you." I said, "Thank you." She said, "Whatever happens, Carlos, win or lose. I am proud of what you have built. I am proud of who you are. I am proud of the boy across the table at dinner who you have helped become a man on the field. I am proud of you." I had to put down my coffee. I said, "Lisa." She said, "It is okay. I just wanted you to know." She kissed my forehead. She got up. She went to take the twins to soccer. The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.

Lisa took the twins to soccer and I sat at the island for a while with my cold coffee, thinking about Daquan and Mrs. Burns and the semifinal and all of it — and then I got up and decided the best thing I could do was cook something real. Saturday dinner is mine when the season allows it, and after a week like this one, I needed to stand at a stove and do something with my hands. Beef stroganoff is what I make when I want to feed people the right way — it is warm and it is heavy and it sits with you, which is exactly what a Saturday night at the end of October should do. The game is won at the table. So I cooked.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs beef sirloin or tenderloin, thinly sliced into strips
12 oz wide egg noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature
Salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook egg noodles according to package directions until just al dente. Drain and set aside, tossed lightly with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
Sear the beef. Pat beef strips dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat. Working in batches, sear beef strips 1—2 minutes per side until browned. Do not crowd the pan. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Soften the onion and mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same pan. Add onion and cook 4—5 minutes until softened. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned and liquid has evaporated.
Build the sauce. Add butter to the pan and let it melt. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir to coat, cooking for 1 minute. Slowly pour in beef broth while stirring to prevent lumps. Add Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. Bring to a simmer and cook 4—5 minutes until sauce thickens.
Finish with sour cream. Reduce heat to low. Stir in sour cream until fully incorporated and smooth. Do not let the sauce boil once the sour cream is added or it may break. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Return the beef. Add the seared beef strips back into the pan along with any resting juices. Stir gently and heat through for 2—3 minutes over low heat.
Serve. Spoon beef and sauce generously over egg noodles. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve immediately while hot.

Nutrition (per serving)

Hearty Beef Stroganoff — What You Cook When the Road Bends Back Home