What: The Beef Stroganoff
Where: Miro’s, 1555 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
How much: $28
Contact: 760-323-5199; mirospalmsprings.com
Why: Perfection in proportions.
Beef stroganoff is, on paper, a simple dish. You have your beef and maybe mushrooms; you have your pasta; you have your sauce. Mix together. The end.
Ah, but if you want that beef stroganoff to be good, it’s not so simple, is it? For example: How’s the pasta quality? How is that pasta prepared? The same goes for the beef; we’ve all choked down bits of meat before that were closer in texture to leather than food. And then there’s the sauce: How does it taste? Is there too much of it, or is there too little?
The devil is in the details—and at Miro’s, the beef stroganoff is so splendid that you know the folks in the kitchen are carefully making sure those details are perfect.
Yes, you’ll pay more than one normally would for beef stroganoff ($28), but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. In this case, you’re paying for either delicious noodles or spaetzle—and we heartily recommend the spaetzle. It was light with just a hint of browning, giving it a mouth-pleasing hint of crunch. You’re paying for tender, tasty beef that’s been cooked with shallots, garlic and herbs. You’re paying for delicious, appropriately sized mushroom pieces. And you’re paying for all of that to be lovingly combined in just the right amount of a creamy mushroom-brandy sauce.
Miro’s Restaurant is celebrating 20 years in business this year, and dishes like this amazing beef stroganoff illustrate why: Miro Terzic, an immigrant from Yugoslavia, and his crew are experts at Mediterranean and Central European recipes. (An endorsement within an endorsement: You must try the cabbage rolls. Really.) Go and see for yourself.