Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (80 page)

  
FILET DE BOEUF POÊLÉ

[Tenderloin of Beef, Casserole-roasted with Aromatic Vegetables]

A favorite roasting method that comes to us from the old classic cuisine is
poêlage
, meaning to brown the meat and then roast it in a covered casserole with
les aromates
. This is particularly successful with beef tenderloin because the aromatic ingredients, even though their contact with the meat is brief, subtly enhance its flavor and aroma. In addition, you have a deliciously flavored base for the sauce. Because internal meat temperature rises very quickly when beef is done in a covered roaster, watch it carefully after your meat thermometer reaches 110 degrees. (Make a guess if your thermometer starts at 130 degrees.)

Suggested Accompaniments: A garnish of watercress and sautéed mushrooms around the meat, and
endives à la dauphinoise
(
gratin of endives and sliced potatoes
); red Bordeaux-Médoc wine.

For 10 to 12 people

1)
Preliminaries to roasting

A
tenderloin of beef
, 3½ to 4 lbs., trimmed and tied

Olive oil or cooking oil

A heavy 12-inch frying pan (an oval “fish fryer” is ideal for this)

A heavy, oval, flameproof casserole just large enough to hold beef (such as 12 by 9 inches)

Salt and pepper

½ cup sliced onions

½ cup sliced carrots

1 bay leaf, broken

½ tsp thyme

A piece of fresh pork fat or suet 12 by 9 inches and ¼ inch thick

2½ cups veal stock or beef bouillon

A cover for the casserole

Dry the beef thoroughly on paper towels. Film the pan with ⅛ inch of oil and set over moderately high heat. When very hot but not smoking, brown beef lightly on all sides, season with salt and pepper, and place in casserole. Brown the vegetables lightly in the same fat, season, stir in the herbs, and strew the vegetables over, under, and around the beef. Drape the fat over the meat. Spoon oil out of frying pan, pour in bouillon and boil for a moment, scraping up any coagulated cooking juices. Pour liquid into a cup and reserve for Step 3.

2)
Roasting the beef—35 to 45 minutes in a preheated 375-degree oven

At least an hour before serving, cover casserole and set over moderately high heat until beef is sizzling, then place in middle level of a preheated oven. Turn and baste beef once in 15 minutes, and rearrange fat on top. Meat is done to very rare at 125 degrees on a meat thermometer and to medium rare at 130; juices will run rosy red when meat is pricked, and roast will feel slightly springy rather than squashy (like raw beef) when pressed. Set beef on a warm platter and leave at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes while finishing sauce.

3)
Sauce

Optional: 1 medium tomato

The bouillon from Step 1

½ Tb cornstarch blended in a cup with ¼ cup dry port wine or vermouth

Salt and pepper to taste

2 to 3 Tb soft butter

A hot sauce boat

Tip casserole and skim most of fat off cooking juices; bring to the boil. Chop optional tomato and add to casserole along with the bouillon. Boil slowly for 4 to 5 minutes to concentrate flavor. Remove from heat, stir in cornstarch and wine mixture, and bring to the simmer. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until sauce turns from cloudy to clear. Carefully correct seasoning. Just before serving, remove from heat and beat in the butter, a tablespoon at a time. Strain into sauce boat, pressing juices out of vegetables.

4)
Serving

Cut and discard trussing strings, and arrange beef on hot platter with whatever vegetables or garnish you have chosen. Pour several spoonsful of sauce over the beef to glaze it, and serve at once. (If beef is to be carved in the kitchen, place on a carving board that will collect juices; rapidly cut meat into slices ½ inch thick and rearrange on warm platter with garnish around them. Pour carving juices over meat, and pass sauce separately.)

(*)
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE
: If you cannot serve immediately, remove strings but do not carve meat; after it has rested 10 to 15 minutes and the sauce is made except for the final butter enrichment, return meat to casserole and baste with the sauce. Set cover askew and place either over barely simmering water or in an oven no hotter than 120 degrees. Meat can stay thus for a good hour before serving.

VARIATIONS

Tenderloin Baked in a Cloak of Mushrooms or of Matignon

To give the meat more flavor, you may either slice it and re-form with a stuffing between each slice as in the beef
en feuilletons
, or you may use that same mushroom stuffing but spread it over the whole
filet
as
illustrated
. In this second case, however, you must have caul fat to hold the mushrooms in place. Rather than mushrooms, you may wish to use the
matignon
of diced cooked carrots, onions, celery, ham, and wine in Volume I, page 303. In any case, when the meat is wrapped, brown it as described in the preceding recipe, and casserole-roast it in exactly the same way.

Filet de Boeuf à la Bourgeoise

[Tenderloin of Beef with Onions, Mushrooms, and Olives]

Whether casserole-roasted, plain roasted, or braised, a
filet
of beef surrounded with onions, mushrooms, and green olives is as attractive to look at as it is to eat. The garniture is cooked in advance, and simmers in the sauce to blend flavors before being arranged around the beef; you may wish to add sautéed potatoes to the platter, or the
zucchini timbale
. Cook the
filet
and prepare the sauce as in the preceding Master Recipe, or braise it with or without a stuffing as described in Volume I, page 303. Prepare the garniture as follows: