Chateaubriand (D’Escoffier)

Chateaubriand is a dish that traditionally consists of a large centre cut fillet of tenderloin grilled between two lesser pieces of meat that are discarded after cooking. While the term originally referred to the preparation of the dish. In 19th century gastronomy the steak for Chateaubriand could be cut from the sirloin, and served with a reduced sauce named Chateaubriand sauce or a similar, this was prepared with white wine and shallots moistened with demi-glace, and mixed with butter, tarragon, and lemon juice. It was also traditionally served with mushrooms. I first had Chateaubriand in West Germany in the late 1980s, such an education to the palate and I recall that on the platter aside were the most beautiful, slightly soft roast potatoes cooked with the juice of the beef, the kind that only butter can provide. Finished with herbed green beans and peas. I would usually pre-cursor it with a serving of half a dozen snails (schnecken), such a festival of flavours.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Cooking Method: Roasting

Cuisine: Europe, French

Courses: Mains

Difficulty: Advanced

Servings: 2

Ingredients

454 g beef fillet
120 ml red wine
120 ml beef stock
1 tbsp oil
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp rock salt
½ tsp black pepper
7 g dried porcini mushrooms
3 shallots
1 tbsp fresh tarragon
1 tbsp double cream

Instructions

1
Place the mushrooms in a small bowl and cover them with 2 tbsp of tepid water.
2
Peel and finely chop the shallots. strip the tarragon leaves from the stems and chop finely.
3
Drain the mushroom liquid through a sieve lined with a piece of kitchen roll and retain the juice, the kitchen roll acts as a filter for any grit that will come off the mushroom, chop the mushrooms finely.
4
Melt 2 tbsp of the butter and oil together over a medium to high heat in a heavy skillet or pan. When the butter foams but before it burns add the beef and let it brown for 1 minute to get a good colour on it, colour equates to more flavour.
Dry the surface of the beef before searing so that hot fat does not spit excessively.
5
Rotate the meat in the oil mixture until all the sides are seared and then transfer the meat to a roasting dish on the top rack.
Use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the beef and treat time-per-pound guidance as approximate.
6
Place the roasting dish in a preheated oven at 190°C. For a medium rare roast it will require approximately 15 minutes per lb, internal temperature 50°C.
Rest the beef for at least 10 minutes. The centre will continue to warm slightly while resting.
7
When the meat is cooked as you desire place it on another roasting tray and tent it loosely with foil to rest.
8
As the meat rests and over a medium heat add the chopped shallots to the same pan that was used for searing the beef and stir for a few minutes until the shallots are translucent.
9
Add the wine to the pan and bring to the boil. Stir thoroughly to loosen all the fond from the bottom of the pan, again, the fond is where the flavour is.
10
Let the mixture reduce by half and add in the chopped porcini mushrooms. Add the stock and mushroom juices to the pan and continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened. At this stage add the remaining butter to the pan along with the cream and the chopped tarragon.
11
Check the seasoning, carve the meat into thick slices for your guests and garnish with fresh thyme should you wish.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 2

Amount Per Serving
Calories 775.70kcal

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 55.88g86%
Saturated Fat 25.32g127%
Sodium 346.38mg15%
Total Carbohydrate 8.73g3%
Dietary Fiber 2.05g9%
Sugars 3.33g
Protein 50.62g102%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.