/ Our magazine / Beef fillet: how to choose and cook the king of cuts.
/ Our magazine / Beef fillet: how to choose and cook the king of cuts.
The beef fillet is one of the most prized and succulent cuts to use in the kitchen. Just high-quality fillet is enough to ensure a truly delightful meal. But clearly, this meat must be really fresh and of high quality to bring out the best of itself, and, above all, cooked in the right way! Let's see how to learn to choose the beef fillet and what recipes can be made with this delicious cut.
The fillet is the most prized cut of meat on the market (and also the most expensive!). This is justified by the tenderness of the meat: the fillet, taken from the loin of the animal, is free of connective tissue, which is why tough parts are absent, and indeed the meat is characterized by extreme melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. You should also know that a single bovine can yield no more than 3-4 kg of fillet, which is why it is a type of meat produced in really limited quantities.
The fillet “develops” in length, thus it is divided into head, body, and tail.
From the head, the widest part, and the body, steaks and tartare are obtained, while from the tail, the thinnest part, strips, bites, and tournedos are made.
An important aspect when choosing the beef fillet is the marbling of the meat, that is, the “veins” of distributed fat. Avoid buying fillets that are too lean, as they would lose tenderness and juiciness. A little extra fat helps to have meat that is really tender and tasty.
As already stated, the beef fillet is very precious, so attention to cooking!
Timing and temperature of the meat in this case are very important. The challenge with the fillet lies precisely in the speed of execution: the preparations in which it is the protagonist require a few minutes of cooking and few seasonings. In fact, the fillet is so tender that it can be eaten even raw or just seared. On the contrary, if overcooked, it loses tenderness. However, before thinking about cooking, you need to prepare the meat by cleaning it of skins and fatty parts. The sinew running along the piece must be removed by slicing with a sharp knife and then pulling it away.
Generally, the best way to enjoy the beef fillet is pan-searing.
It is the first contact with this tool that is decisive for the final result. Choose an iron skillet and heat it well before searing the meat. You can use butter as fat, but an even better option is high-quality EVO oil to sear the meat and create the crust that is so loved, forming a respectable sauce to accompany it. A fillet of about 200g normally requires a quick cooking time of 2 to 5 minutes per side based on how well-cooked you prefer it, whether rare or more done. To check if the meat is cooked just right, you can rely on the classic “skewer method”: poke the meat and see what color the juices come out. If rare, a drop will come out, while, if the fillet is more cooked, as cooking proceeds, the color of the liquid will become lighter.
Another slightly more sophisticated method is to measure the internal temperature of the meat using a food thermometer. If you want a steak very rare, just seared and a deep red, you’ll only need a couple of minutes per side and a core temperature of about 45 °C.
For a rare slice of bright red, you will need three minutes and about 50 °C at the core.
Medium doneness requires 4 minutes per side and a central temperature of about 60 °C. In this case, the meat will be a nice bright pink.
If you prefer well-done meat, it’s better to cook it for 5 minutes per side with a central temperature of about 70 °C.
The Tournedos alla Rossini is perhaps the dish that best enhances the refinement of the beef fillet. It is a typical recipe from French culinary tradition, and it seems that it was invented in the 1800s by the French chef Moisson in honor of the composer Gioachino Rossini. It is said that Rossini was quite the gourmet and even went so far as to stop composing music to transcribe and modify the recipes of chefs with whom he had formed friendships. In particular, it seems that the composer had a deep passion for truffles.
The tournedos alla Rossini is, therefore, a beef fillet accompanied by a slice of foie gras and black truffle. It is a very sophisticated dish that requires many irreplaceable ingredients.
In particular, you will need:
Pays attention to the ingredients: they must be very fresh and of the highest quality. First, take the foie gras and cut it into four thin slices slightly smaller than the tournedos. Separately, trim the edges of the bread and make the slices the same size as the tournedos, then toast them on both sides with a bit of butter, and keep them warm. Clean the tournedos by removing the fat and sinews. Tie them with kitchen twine to maintain their round shape while cooking. Take a skillet and melt the butter, allowing it to brown, then sear the tournedos over high heat for one minute on each side. Lower the flame and let them cook for 7-8 minutes, then remove them and place a slice of toasted bread on each. In the same pan, lightly flavor the foie gras by searing the slices for 15 seconds on both sides, adding salt and pepper, then place a slice on each tournedos. At this point, take the truffle and slice it to place on top of the tournedos, then remove the twine. Still in the same pan, pour in the Madeira and let it reduce with the remaining juices, adding the remaining chopped truffle, then cover the tournedos with the sauce and serve.
This dish, an excellence of French cuisine, is perfect to propose for a more elegant and special dinner. You'll impress!
If you want a simpler and less demanding recipe, then you must try the beef fillet with green pepper, a timeless recipe now famous for its simplicity. Again, the meat must be of prime quality, being the undisputed star of the recipe, which also features a delicious cream and mustard sauce.
Ingredients:
To make the fillet with green pepper, first, prepare the meat broth (no stock cubes, they dull the flavors!). Take some kitchen twine and tie the fillets so that they maintain their shape while cooking, securing the twine with a knot. Pour the flour into a shallow dish and only dust the sides of the fillet medallions. Take a steel skillet, add the ghee, and let it melt over high heat, then place the fillets in the pan, searing them before reducing the heat and letting them cook for a couple of minutes without touching them to brown the surfaces of the fillet. Increase the heat again and turn the fillets without piercing the meat, cooking for another 2 minutes. At this point, roll them on the side, and toss them in the butter to sear the entire surface. Now comes the fun part: deglaze the meat with brandy and let the alcohol evaporate. There will be a flare-up! As soon as it extinguishes, lower the heat and add the drained green pepper, salt, mustard, half the fresh cream, and a ladle of broth, then raise the heat. Mix the ingredients and continue cooking for a couple of minutes on each side. At this point, transfer them to serving plates and remove the twine. In the pan, add another ladle of broth and the remaining cream, adjust with salt, and let the sauce thicken a bit, which should have the consistency of yogurt. Drizzle it over the plates and serve immediately; it will be a delight!
Do these recipes make you salivate? We suppose not, especially since the beef fillet is so good that it really deserves to be tried in all variations. One thing is for sure: this cut is so delicate and tasty that it is perfect even on its own, without too many frills. The important thing is to buy truly good and high-quality meat, and we at Spaghetti&Mandolino know exactly where you can find it. Take a look at our selection to find not only top-notch meat but also truffles and all the other ingredients needed to prepare a Michelin-starred lunch!
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