Turkey schmurkey. Beef is what’s for dinner, especially during the holidays. For a classic, family-satisfying celebratory meal, we turned to one of Las Vegas’ most versatile local chefs, Matthew Silverman from Vintner Grill. And he turned to Beef Stroganoff. “This is a great option and very approachable for the home cook, something that everyone knows and loves,” Silverman says. Vintner Grill actually offers this as an alternative to smoked turkey breast on its Thanksgiving menu, and now you can, too.

Beef Stroganoff

(serves your whole crazy family)

Ingredients:

5 lbs. beef, boneless short rib (substitute sirloin or chuck)

1 large onion, diced

12 oz. button mushrooms, diced

1 head garlic, peeled and chopped

3 cups port wine

2 cups veal or beef stock

3 cups chicken stock, divided

2 bay leaves

¼ cup sherry vinegar

1 tbsp. mustard

2 tbsp. sour cream

¼ cup chives, chopped

½ lb. trumpet mushrooms, sliced thin

2 tsp. garlic, chopped

2 tsp. shallots, chopped

2 cups mushroom cream (recipe below)

2 tbsp. butter

½ lb. baby spinach

1 lb. pappardelle pasta

Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

salt and pepper

Mushroom cream ingredients:

½ cup olive oil

½ yellow onion, chopped

1 oz. roasted garlic, chopped

2 lbs. portabello mushrooms, chopped

3 quarts heavy cream

1 tbsp. truffle oil

salt and pepper

Method: To make the mushroom cream, sauté the onions in olive oil. When cooked through, add the mushrooms and roasted garlic and cook until mushrooms are soft. In a separate pot, bring the cream to a simmer and reduce by half. Add the reduced cream to the vegetable mixture. Season with remaining ingredients. Blend well in mixer or food processor, cover and chill.

Dice beef into 2-inch cubes. Heat stock pot on high. Season beef with salt and pepper and sear in stock pot, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pot and sauté onions, button mushrooms and whole head of chopped garlic, making sure not to brown. Add beef back into the pot and deglaze with port wine. Reduce until half the volume of liquid remains, then cover with veal stock and 2 cups chicken stock. Add bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add sherry vinegar. Cook until beef is fork tender. Remove bay leaves, stir in mustard, sour cream and chives, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Heat a sauté pan on high and sear trumpet mushrooms, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add 2 tsp. chopped garlic and shallots, making sure not to burn. Add mushroom cream, 1 cup chicken stock and butter, re-season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

Cook pasta according to box directions. Drain pasta and add to mushroom cream mixture. Toss in spinach at the end just to wilt.

To serve, place the beef on the bottom of a bowl. Twirl pasta on top of beef, and finish with freshly grated Parmesan.