Delicious Hamburger Stroganoff

The Cook

Jamie Pierson, Pierson Ranch, Brusett Montana.

I’m a 29 year old ranch wife and mother to two young cowboys, Cash and Charley. My husband Bo and I ranch with his father, Mike Pierson, in the Missouri River Breaks near the Fort Peck River. We run around 600 Black Angus cows and raise registered quarter horses as well.

The Recipe

Delicious Hamburger Stroganoff
This recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law. It was her mother’s and has been passed down through the family. I fix it anytime because it’s so good, and especially when I’m wanting some comfort food. This is a great meal on a chilly day to warm your belly up, too!

The Ingredients

1⁄2 cup onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1⁄4 cup unsalted butter
1 pound ground beef
1 tsp salt
1⁄4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup canned mushrooms, sliced
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream

The Preparation

Sauté onion and garlic in butter on medium heat. Stir in meat and brown. Then, add flour, salt, pepper and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in soup. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add sour cream; heat through. Serve over cooked noodles.
This recipe easily doubles for a bigger quantity.

Ask the Cook

Food Philosophy
I try to cook hearty meals that will stick to the cowboys’ ribs because their next meal might be 9 or 10 hours down the road. And they darn sure earn a good meal because cowboying, especially when we’re doing our fall gatherings and sorting, can be draining. The days are long and the weather is cold. When there’s lots of cow work to be done and our neighbors and friends come to help out, a nice spread is the least we can do to thank them for their help.

Any advice for our readers?
Hungry cowboys aren’t very picky about what you serve them, as long as it’s warm and filling. We’re pretty much just “meat and potatoes” kind of people around here. These four ingredients always seem to find their way into my recipes: butter, cheese, cream and bacon. You can’t go wrong if you’ve added some of these ingredients to your food!

Cooking Confession
A few years ago, everyone came in after stacking hay bales in the heat and wanted a drink. I made Kool-Aid but forgot to put the sugar in. Everyone drank it and never said a word. One person even complimented me on my good “circus water!”

If you have a recipe you’d like to share in a Dinner Bell column, give WR a call at 702-566-1456 or send an email to dinnerbell@workingranchmag.com.