Filets de Bœuf Andalouse

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Narrow boning knife and long metal skewer, in place of a larding needle
• •Kitchen twine
• •Heavy lidded oven-safe casserole just larger than the fillet
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Broiler tray
• •Deep heavy sauté pan and frying thermometer
• •2-inch (5 cm) round cutter or paper template
• •Long heated serving platter and sauceboat

Instructions

1. 1

   Lard and tie

   Chill the bacon batons until firm but still flexible. Pat the fillet dry, then use a narrow boning knife to open four evenly spaced lengthwise channels from each end, each reaching halfway through the meat. Guide one bacon baton into every channel with a long metal skewer. If a strip buckles, don't force it and tear the fillet. Withdraw it, chill it again, widen the channel slightly, and try once more. Ça se rattrape. Fold the thin tail under if necessary, tie the fillet at 1½-inch (4 cm) intervals, and season it with about half the salt and pepper.

   A butcher can lard the fillet for you. If you do it at home, firm bacon and a straight channel matter more than owning a traditional larding needle.
2. 2

   Grill the peppers

   Heat the broiler and set a rack about 6 inches (15 cm) below it. Brush the pepper halves with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, set them skin-side up on a tray, and broil until the skins blister and carry dark patches, about 6 to 10 minutes. Cover them for 5 minutes, then peel carefully without collapsing the halves. They should be tender enough to eat but sturdy enough to hold rice. If one tears, overlap the torn edges when filling it; the rice will hold the shape.

3. 3

   Fry the aubergine cases

   Cut four roundels from the widest parts of the aubergines, each about 2 inches (5 cm) across and 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Trim them round with a cutter or knife, then scoop out the center of each, leaving a base and walls about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Salt lightly and leave for 15 minutes, then blot completely dry. Heat the remaining olive oil to 340°F (170°C) in a deep sauté pan and fry the cases in batches, turning gently, until the rims are bronze and the flesh is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain upside down on a rack and season lightly.

4. 4

   Cook the tomato concassée

   Score the tomatoes, lower them into boiling water for 20 seconds, and cool them in cold water. Peel, quarter, seed, and concassé them, which means chopping the flesh roughly rather than crushing it into a sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a clean pan and toss the concassed tomatoes over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, just until their loose water cooks away. Season with salt and pepper. If they flood the pan, lift out the pieces, reduce the juice alone, then fold them back in. Fill the fried aubergine cases with the tomato concassée.

5. 5

   Fill the peppers

   Spoon the warm Riz à la Grecque (No. 2253) generously into the grilled pepper halves, mounding it without packing it hard. Set the four peppers and four filled aubergine cases on a baking tray. Hold them at room temperature while the beef cooks, for no longer than 1 hour; they will receive their final warming during the fillet's rest.

6. 6

   Cook by Poëlings

   Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Cook the larded fillet according to Poëlings (No. 250), using a heavy lidded casserole just larger than the meat as the home equivalent of the brigade poëling pan. Keep the preparation intact and add no liquid during its cooking stage; poëling is gentle butter-roasting, not braising. Cook until an instant-read thermometer reaches 140°F (60°C) at the center, generally 25 to 35 minutes for this size. Lift the beef out and rest it loosely covered for 12 to 15 minutes, checking that carryover heat brings the center to 145°F (63°C).

   The thermometer decides, not the clock. A narrow fillet can finish quickly, while a compact one needs longer even at the same weight.
7. 7

   Grill the chipolatas

   While the beef cooks, place the chipolatas in a dry heavy frying pan over medium heat. Turn them frequently until evenly browned and cooked through to 160°F (71°C), about 10 to 12 minutes. Chipolatas are small, mild sausages, not spicy chorizo, and their seasoning should support the beef rather than dominate it. Set them beside the filled vegetables on the tray.

8. 8

   Finish the gravy

   As soon as the beef begins resting, lower the oven to 325°F (165°C) and warm the tray of garnishes for 8 to 10 minutes. Strain the poëling stock produced through Poëlings (No. 250), let it stand briefly, and spoon every visible trace of grease from the surface. Simmer about 1 cup in a clean saucepan until its flavor is concentrated. Stir the arrowroot into the cold water, then whisk in half the slurry and simmer for 20 seconds. Add only enough of the remainder to make the gravy lightly coat the back of a spoon. Reserve 2 tablespoons for glazing and pour the rest into a heated sauceboat. If the gravy becomes heavy or jelly-like, whisk in hot water a teaspoon at a time. Ça se rattrape.

9. 9

   Glaze and arrange

   Remove the strings and set the rested fillet lengthwise on a heated platter. Brush it with the reserved gravy only now, turning the surface until it gleams. Alternate the four rice-filled pepper halves and four tomato-filled aubergine cases around the beef, then place one grilled chipolata in every interval. Send the remaining gravy separately, carve the fillet thickly at the table, and serve each guest some of every garnish. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for a center-cut fillet of even thickness. The narrow tail can be folded under, but a strongly tapered piece makes synchronized cooking needlessly difficult.
• •Use true chipolatas, small, thin, mildly seasoned pork sausages. Chorizo changes both the flavor and the balance of the garnish; Andalouse is the French name for the composition, not permission to add every Spanish seasoning in the cupboard.
• •When ripe tomatoes are poor, drain good whole canned tomatoes, remove the seeds, and concassé the flesh. The classical pantry solved the season honestly, and a preserved tomato with flavor is better than a fresh one without any.
• •A firm, medium-bodied red suits the beef, peppers, and sausage. A young Bordeaux or a red from Costières de Nîmes has enough structure without crushing the tomato and aubergine.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the Riz à la Grecque (No. 2253) up to 1 day ahead, chill it promptly, and reheat it gently before filling the peppers.
• •The peppers may be grilled and peeled, the aubergine cases fried, and the tomato concassée prepared up to 4 hours ahead. Chill the components separately, then fill and warm them shortly before serving.
• •The fillet may be larded and tied up to 8 hours ahead. Keep it covered in the refrigerator, then take it out 30 minutes before cooking.
• •Do not cook the fillet ahead. The entire schedule is built around its final rest, when the garnishes warm and the gravy is strained, thickened, and made ready for the last-minute glaze.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 620g)