Turn off the fat in stroganoff

Dear Jeanne: I had this dish at a friend's house, and it was delicious. I asked for the recipe, and I was surprised by the amount of fat and the price of beef tenderloin. Can you make this health- and budget-friendly? Thanks! — Linda S., Pleasant Grove, Utah

Dear Linda: Yes, I can.

Sirloin steak is very tender and much more reasonably priced than tenderloin. Be sure to trim all visible fat while cutting the meat into strips. A very easy way to slice meat thinly is to cut it while it is partially frozen. You can either partially freeze it or take it out of the freezer for about half an hour to thaw. This way, it remains very firm. If it is too hard to cut, thaw for a few more minutes.

In order to make enough sauce without using all that sour cream, I like to use fat-free beef broth. This dish is usually served over noodles, but you can use rice or even some steamed vegetables to sop up all that delicious sauce.

BEEF STROGANOFF

1 1/2 pounds trimmed beef tenderloin

Salt and pepper

8 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons oil

1 pound onion, thinly sliced

1 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon ketchup

2 tablespoons dry sherry

2 1/2 cups sour cream

Finely chopped parsley

1. Cut meat into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then cut each slice into strips about 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of the butter and the oil together over medium-low heat, then saute the onion until softened.

3. Raise heat and add mushrooms, garlic, ketchup and sherry. Cook until tender.

4. In another skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat and quickly saute the beef strips. Do not overcook.

5. Add the cooked beef to the mushroom mixture, then stir in the sour cream. Heat over medium heat, but do not boil. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately over noodles.