Beef strogonoff

Method

1. Cut the sirloin into strips 1 cm thick and 5 cm long, trimming off hard fat; season with black pepper and leave at room temperature. Finely chop 1 onion and the garlic, and the other ½ onion for the rice. Slice the mushrooms.
2. Make fluffy white rice: boil 750 ml of water in a kettle. In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over low heat and soften ½ onion, finely chopped, with a pinch of salt for 2 minutes; add 300 g of long-grain rice and stir for 1 minute until every grain is coated. Pour in the boiling water, add 1 teaspoon of salt, stir once and cook uncovered over medium heat until the water drops to the level of the rice (about 7 minutes). Lower the heat, half-cover and cook 8 minutes more until dry; turn off the heat, keep covered for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.
3. Heat a wide frying pan or pot over high heat with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Sear the beef in 3 or 4 batches without crowding and stirring little, about 2 minutes per batch, until browned outside; salt each batch as it comes out and set aside in a bowl. Add more butter for each batch.
4. Lower to medium heat, melt the rest of the butter and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute; add the mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes until their water has come out and evaporated.
5. Return the beef and its juices. Add the tomato passata, ketchup, mustard and Worcestershire sauce, stir and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, covered.
6. Turn the heat to its lowest and stir in the cream (creme de leite) just until hot; do not let it boil or the sauce may split. Taste and adjust the salt.
7. Serve at once with the white rice, and scatter the batata palha (shoestring potato sticks) on the plate so it stays crisp.