Fillet of Beef

[Mrs Seabiscuit]

Ok so after much deliberations and pondering. I have got a gorgeous looking piece of fillet beef for Christmas day. So ladies and gentlemans and pictchfork!
Cook it me? explain how I should do it shall I let it rest for a day covered in any seasonings? shall I cook it on a bed of carrots celery onions? Tell me how to do it step by step. I haven`t done it before and want it to be divine.
GLAUCUS I AM LOOKING AT YOU THANKYOU PLEASE (yes I am shouting its christmas!)

Yes I also know I could google it but there are certain peoples opinion on here I trust.

 

[HazardO]

This is what I'd have with fillet of beef, along with creamy mash and tender stem broccoli..

My favourite posh way of roasting veg at the moment is as follows:

Baby carrots and baby parsnips (Or larger, chopped length ways), in a roasting dish with eschalon shallots, a few whole cloves of garlic, a couple of sprigs of rosemary.

Now a small bottle of truffle oil instead of the usual oil (M&S do a really good one for £4 a bottle). The shallots should separate into burnt onion petals, and the earthiness of the root vegetables with the truffle and garlic is immense. Best with a fillet steak, but would go well with turkey as well.

 

[Youstolemyname]

I'd be tempted to wellington it depending on size but if you are going for the roast:

Brush with olive oil and season with black pepper/salt all over (not too liberally). Sear in a hot pan for about 5-10 mins depending on size until it is brown. Then finish in oven in a roasting tin to your desired doneness, about 20 min for med-rare (again depending on size)

I would place it on a bed made of your veg and garlic to help make the gravy uber tasty while roasting. Fillet does lack in taste for what it makes up in texture so concentrate on a nice gravy, bone marrow gravy is a lovely accompaniment.

Most important bit: rest the meat.

 

[Rich_L]

Long version

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/12/the-food-lab-reverse-sear-beef-tenderloin-filet-mignon.html

Recipe :

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/12/slow-roasted-beef-tenderloin-recipe.html

In short salt and season the day before and rest uncovered overnight on a rack in the fridge, cook at the lowest temperature your oven will do until at desired level of done-ness, take out, baste in butter then put under the grill and blast it to finish!

 

[Glaucus]

There's only one thing I would do with it for a main course and that's Wellington. But you know my feelings on fillet from the other thread, it's the opposite end of the spectrum to what I generally use.

The biggest mistake people make, is they don't cook out the duxelles for long enough, it needs to be dry, very dry. Otherwise you get liquid and pastry goes soggy etc.

Good thing is it can be totally assembled the day before.
And if you have a probe thermometer it's even easier as it takes out the guess work.

 

[Kimi]

Weve got a nice big fillet for xmas too, i think we've decided to cut it into inch thick steaks and bbq

 

[Rotty]

There's only one thing I would do with it for a main course and that's Wellington. But you know my feelings on fillet from the other thread, it's the opposite end of the spectrum to what I generally use.

The biggest mistake people make, is they don't cook out the duxelles for long enough, it needs to be dry, very dry. Otherwise you get liquid and pastry goes soggy etc.

Good thing is it can be totally assembled the day before.
And if you have a probe thermometer it's even easier as it takes out the guess work.

I do wellington quite a bit, I do the duxelle slightly moist (but still a lot drier than when it goes in pan) rather then dry, the pastry says dry do to the parma ham wrap, I use tem probe too, about 51-52C taken from oven for med rare

 

[toshj]

If you don't go down the Wellington route, I've done this a few times. Easy, tasty and quick.

http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/22594/beef-fillet-with-salsa-verde

 

[Mrs Seabiscuit]

thanks guys. I wont do wellington as its for christmas dinner.

 

[Glaucus]

In that case as rare as you can get away with. Depending on the group, still rest it.

 

[Mrs Seabiscuit]

In that case as rare as you can get away with. Depending on the group, still rest it.

Glaucus you legend!

 

[Rich_L]

Is it done yet?



30 hours until eating time

 

[seabiscuit]

30 hours resting time might be a bit short

 

[Mrs Seabiscuit]

OMG I am so excited! cant wait to cook my baby. He is coming up for room temp overnight quick chat to butcher and Glaucus. so wont be roastin longer than 45 mins. so then to rest for an hour. we are gonna cook then cover with teatowels to keep him toasty.

 

[Platinum Pete]

Should take less than 20 mins in a hot oven depending on the width of the meat with a pre-sear. i think 45mins is far too long Make sure you don't overcook it. Remove from oven when internal temp hits 40c For rare/med rare as it will rise by 10c or so during the resting.

Merry xmas

 

[bJN]

So how'd it turn out Mrs S?

 

[seabiscuit]

Turned out very tasty and tender. Still some pink in the middle, but maybe not quite as much as would have been ideal. The gravy I'd made from stock we made was tasty, but too thin.

 

[Mrs Seabiscuit]

Yeah overall it was awesome as seabiscuit said not quite as pink in the middle as we wanted but we caught it in time. Meat was brown on rest of it not pink so bonus.

 

[Flying_Hellfish]

We had fillet as well, also first time we'd cooked this cut whole.

Recipe said 130oF for med-rare so took it out at about 125oF (guests preferred it this way) and it was perhaps a little over when rested. Next time I will try more like 110oF for a bit rarer - normally I'd cook rare in any case.

Recipe was salt, pepper, crushed garlic and rosemary with olive oil brushed all over. Rosemary also inserted under the trusses then roasted at a high heat. Didn't take long at all and was soft as butter.

Don't know if I'd do it again for Christmas though, maybe back to rib or try the wellington.