Tournedos Piémontaise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Four shallow 4-inch (10 cm) tartlet molds or 6-ounce (180 ml) ramekins
• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Thin flexible knife
• •Large oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the tournedos

   Set the tournedos out for twenty minutes while you prepare the molds, then pat every surface thoroughly dry. Check that each piece is tied into an even round of equal thickness, because four different shapes become four different degrees of doneness. Leave the salt and pepper beside the stove and season only when the skillet is ready.

2. 2

   Mold the rizotto

   Heat the oven to 200°F (95°C) and place the serving platter inside to warm. Butter four shallow 4-inch (10 cm) tartlet molds or 6-ounce (180 ml) ramekins generously. Fold the diced white truffle through the hot prepared Rizotto à la Piémontaise without crushing the grains, then divide it among the molds. Press just firmly enough to remove empty pockets and level the tops. Set the molds on a tray, cover loosely, and hold them in the oven for no more than fifteen minutes.

3. 3

   Heat the skillet

   Heat a broad, heavy skillet over high heat until properly hot. Season the tournedos evenly with the salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) of the clarified butter and swirl it across the pan; it should shimmer immediately without leaving burnt milk solids, which is precisely why clarified butter belongs here.

4. 4

   Sear hot and fast

   Set the tournedos in the skillet with space between them and leave them untouched until the first faces develop a deep Maillard bronze, about 2½ to 3 minutes. Turn once, add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) clarified butter, and cook the second faces for another 2½ to 3 minutes, briefly rolling the edges through the butter with tongs. For medium-rare, remove them when the centers reach 125°F (52°C); they will rise as they rest. If the pan loses its heat and the meat begins releasing liquid, lift the tournedos out, pour away the liquid, reheat the skillet fiercely, and return them for a brief finishing sear. Ça se rattrape. Do not leave them simmering in their own juices.

   If your skillet cannot leave clear space around all four tournedos, cook two at a time. Crowding saves no time because it replaces the bronze crust with grey, steamed meat.
5. 5

   Rest and unmold

   Transfer the tournedos to the warmed edge of the platter and rest them for four minutes. Take the rice molds from the oven, run a thin knife around each rim, and invert them onto the center of the platter in a ring. If a tartlet clings or slumps, don't fuss at it with a spoon. Pack it back into the buttered mold, wait thirty seconds, and turn it out again. Ça se rattrape, and the tournedos will cover the small evidence.

6. 6

   Build the crown

   Remove the strings and place one tournedos squarely on each Rizotto à la Piémontaise tartlet, arranging the four in the source entry's crown. Serve at once while the beef remains rosy and the warmth releases the truffle's perfume. The entry calls for no added sauce, so don't bury the rice beneath one. Clarified butter, bronze crust, truffle, and timing carry the plate. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask the butcher for four center-cut tenderloin medallions of exactly the same thickness. Evenness matters more than extravagance here; a careful sear makes the dish, while an expensive fillet cut into mismatched pieces still cooks badly.
• •The Rizotto à la Piémontaise is a finished component, prepared according to its own entry and brought to this recipe hot. It should be creamy but sufficiently settled to hold the shallow mold. Loose rice spreads across the platter, while cold rice turns heavy.
• •Fresh white truffle gives the dish its clearest perfume. When it isn't in season, a properly preserved white truffle is the classical pantry's honest answer, though its aroma will be quieter. Avoid truffle-flavored oil: the source calls for actual diced truffle, and perfume from a bottle changes the dish.
• •Do not add a pan sauce simply because the skillet has a fond. This particular entry sets the tournedos directly on truffled rice, and a strong reduction would drown the ingredient that makes it Piémontaise.
• •A mature Barolo follows the Piedmontese rice and truffle beautifully. If you want a French bottle, choose a restrained red Burgundy with fragrance and freshness rather than a heavily oaked wine.

Advance Preparation

• •The tournedos can be trimmed and tied up to 8 hours ahead, then kept uncovered in the refrigerator so their surfaces stay dry. Take them out twenty minutes before cooking.
• •Clarified butter can be prepared several days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Measure it before service so the hot pan never has to wait.
• •Prepare the Rizotto à la Piémontaise close to serving. Once folded with the diced truffle and packed into the molds, hold it in the low oven for no longer than fifteen minutes or the grains will continue absorbing liquid and lose their suppleness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 300g)