Velvety Beef Stroganoff - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs beef, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons baking soda
1/4 cup room temperature water
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 -3 garlic cloves, crushed (more if you like garlic)
1/2 lb mushroom, sliced thin (Julie prefers crimini, baby portabellos! (or more)
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup hot water
2 teaspoons beef bouillon powder or 2 teaspoons beef bouillon cubes
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon good quality paprika
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 cups sour cream
cooked noodles or cooked rice, for serving

Preparation

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 saute 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 saute 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 sauteed 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).