Pork Stroganoff -- When the Heat Outside Makes Comfort Food Feel Like Home

Week 382. Year 8. Tommy is 41. Summer heat. The kind that makes the attic work brutal and the evening grill essential and the cold beer a medical necessity. Rémy (12) in school, cooking and fishing. Fishing trips continue — the bayou, the marsh, the same water that Joey fished and that Rémy fishes now with the same cast and the same patience and the different hands that hold the same rod.

Made grilled andouille this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. The roux keeps turning.

The andouille was the grill, but the week needed something that carried into the next day — something with weight and warmth that Rémy could smell from the driveway and know that supper was handled. Pork stroganoff is that dish for us: creamy, simple, the kind of thing that doesn’t ask anything of you except that you show up and eat. When the roux keeps turning, so does the skillet.

Pork Stroganoff

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin, thinly sliced into strips
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
• 12 oz egg noodles, cooked and drained

Instructions

1. Season the pork. Pat pork strips dry and season generously with salt and black pepper. Toss with flour until lightly coated.
2. Sear the pork. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork in a single layer and cook 2—3 minutes per side until browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.
3. Sauté the aromatics. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Add onion and cook 3—4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook another 4—5 minutes until mushrooms release their liquid and begin to brown.
4. Build the sauce. Pour in chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 5 minutes.
5. Finish with sour cream. Reduce heat to low. Stir in sour cream until fully incorporated and sauce is smooth and creamy. Do not boil after adding sour cream or the sauce may break.
6. Return the pork. Add the seared pork back to the skillet along with any resting juices. Stir gently and cook 2—3 minutes until pork is cooked through and coated in sauce.
7. Serve. Spoon stroganoff over cooked egg noodles and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 48g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 540mg