This is a soup I came up with while working at 6th Engine. We had a really nice smoker set up and we were constantly smoking different meats, rib eye, briskets, etc. I took the beef scraps and decided to make a type of stroganoff, but instead of the traditional style, I went into pickles, and smoked paprika, then I finished it with sour cream. The end result was a rich beef stew that was tangy and smokey.
This particular version came to be, because I ran into a large container of chantrelles at Costco. I decided to re imagine my original smoked beef stew into a home version. For this soup, I didn't smoke the meat, instead I rubbed chuck with paprika, avenue spice, and smoked paprika, and let it air dry overnight*. Additionally I added preserved lemons, a heavy hand of garlic, and a ton of mushrooms.
I wanted to create more of a crust to the beef, and help thicken the soup, so I coated it in Wondra flour after dicing up the cured meat. Wondra is a precooked and ground flour that coats very well, doesn't create lumps when you add it to soups, and is easy to find in any grocery store. If you want to quick thicken a soup, you can use Wondra and not worry about cooking out the flour, and rarely worry about any clumping. On a side note, it's also great to use as a quick crust for fish prior to searing.
Once I added all the ingredients together and cooked this soup to the desired consistency I decided to garnish the soup with grated hard boiled eggs. Another option would have been a roasted chantrelle salad, but I felt by leaving the chantrelles large, I didn't need to add more to the soup.
Enjoy.
*When I air dry meats or really anything, I leave them uncovered in my refrigerator overnight on a drying rack. This allows air to flow around the meat, while keeping it in a temperature and humidity safe zone. Do not let meat air dry overnight without the proper equipment or space, as this can easily lead to food borne illness.
Ingredients
Beef Rub
Beef, chuck roll 4 lbs
Paprika 2 T
Avenue Spice 1 T
Smoked Paprika 1 T
Soup
Cremini Mushrooms 1 lb
White Button Mushrooms 1 lb
Chantrelle Mushrooms 1/2 lb
Cured Beef 4 lbs
Wondra flour 8 oz
White Wine 1/4 Cup
Crushed Red Pepper 2 tsp
Butter 4 oz
Beef Stock 2 qt
Water 1 qt
Avenue Spice 1 T
Smoked Paprika 1 T
Garlic, sliced 1 head
Onion, chopped 4 ea
Preserved Lemon 2 T
Pickles, chopped 3/4 cup
Sour Cream 14 oz
Worcestershire 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Garnish
Grated Hard Boiled Eggs
Method of Procedure
Rub your beef and let it rest overnight.
Clean your mushrooms, quartering the button mushrooms, and quartering or smaller on the creminis depending on the size. Tear your chantrelles in half or quarters, depending on the size.
Cube up your beef, and toss it with rice flour to coat evenly.
Sear your beef in batches to get some browning. Once you've gone through all of the beef, de-glaze the pan with your white wine.
Saute your mushrooms in batches, without seasoning, in butter. Cook each batch until browned and aromatic, remove, repeat until all your mushrooms are cooked.
Once you've seared your mushrooms, start your onions and garlic with your crushed red pepper.
Cook without oil on medium heat and stir. Use a wooden spoon to remove any of the beef and mushroom fond that might be left, and get some color on your onions and garlic.
Add your mushrooms, reserving some of the larger chantrelles to garnish, and your beef to the onions and mushrooms.
Add your remaining spices.
Cook, while stirring, for about 15 minutes to mix all the ingredients.
Add your preserved lemon, and chopped pickles.
Cook while stirring for another 5 minutes to marry the flavors on your soup base.
Add your Worcestershire, stock, and water and bring to a simmer.
Cook until you reach you desired consistency. The Wondra flour should help thicken the soup, but if you need to add more Wondra, now is when you would.
Season to taste and simmer the soup for an additional 20 minutes.
Ladle into soup bowls, add some of the reserved chantrelles, and garnish with grated hard boiled eggs.
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