Roast beef w/ sauce bordalaise & roast rack of lamb
I've had two successful weekends of prime cuts from the butcher.
Last weekend was a tenderloin / fillet of beef. Middle cut, about a pound. I trussed it (thanks youtube), rolled it in cracked black pepper, rock salt and smoked sea salt, browned it in a pan with butter then put the pan in 180C oven for 10 mins (if I remember correctly!). I then made my first attempt at a bordalaise sauce.
I did it separately but what I should have done is used the saucepan from the beef. Another knob of butter, some sliced shallot and a branch of thyme, then deglazed with a good glass of red wine. Reduce by at least 2/3, add demi-glace, reduce (by half?), pass through a sieve then finish with blanched cubes of bone marrow.
I served this with griddled asparagus, crusty bread and a prepared split marrow bone. The last bit (as well as the sauce) is worth doing again for my mother. Sweat down a shallot and a touch of garlic. Scrape out the raw marrow, roughly dice, toss with the shallot and garlic, fresh parsley and bread crumbs. Stuff the mixture back into the bone and roast in the oven for about 10 mins. The expensive (but delicately flavoured) beef, served with the cheap marrow, bread and beefy sauce made for something special.
What made the trip to the butcher even more special was the picnic the next day. Leftover rare fillet of beef in a baguette, with tomatoes and rocket from the farmers market and a smear of horseradish cream. Also in our basket was leftover grilled asparagus, olives, crackers, chutney and cheese from my cheese shop. Washed down with a funky orange wine we bought from a wine bar in Paris last year.
In related news, the Escoffier demi-glace with the brown sauce and roux and tomato paste and all the reducing.... it was worth doing that time, but for the above I just did it restaurant style and reduced stock I had in the freezer down to a concentrate. It could have been more, so that's what I'll try next time (as a guide I've read reduce down as much as 9/10), but it's looking like that's the way forward and worth doing with my stocks for sauces.
This Easter weekend was my annual lamb roast. New season, salt marsh rack of lamb. Browned (esp the fat) in a pan and all sides. Roast for 10 mins (I did 3 racks, not sure it makes a bit of difference whether it is a rack or triple chop or 1 or 3!) on 220C (conventional oven). Brush with English mustard then pat in diced fresh mint and parsley (and chives if I would have remembered), another 2-3 mins in the oven (touch to check), let rest at least 5, then serve. I tried to do a sauce but it was dreadful. For a single rack I reckon next time I could do similar to the above, just roast it in the saucepan, deglaze with wine, reduce with some stock/demi. Maybe finish with butter and/or thicken with a roux. Could stir in more mustard and/or redcurrant jelly. Anyway, besides all that, the lamb was delicious and a perfect medium.
Last weekend was a tenderloin / fillet of beef. Middle cut, about a pound. I trussed it (thanks youtube), rolled it in cracked black pepper, rock salt and smoked sea salt, browned it in a pan with butter then put the pan in 180C oven for 10 mins (if I remember correctly!). I then made my first attempt at a bordalaise sauce.
I did it separately but what I should have done is used the saucepan from the beef. Another knob of butter, some sliced shallot and a branch of thyme, then deglazed with a good glass of red wine. Reduce by at least 2/3, add demi-glace, reduce (by half?), pass through a sieve then finish with blanched cubes of bone marrow.
I served this with griddled asparagus, crusty bread and a prepared split marrow bone. The last bit (as well as the sauce) is worth doing again for my mother. Sweat down a shallot and a touch of garlic. Scrape out the raw marrow, roughly dice, toss with the shallot and garlic, fresh parsley and bread crumbs. Stuff the mixture back into the bone and roast in the oven for about 10 mins. The expensive (but delicately flavoured) beef, served with the cheap marrow, bread and beefy sauce made for something special.
What made the trip to the butcher even more special was the picnic the next day. Leftover rare fillet of beef in a baguette, with tomatoes and rocket from the farmers market and a smear of horseradish cream. Also in our basket was leftover grilled asparagus, olives, crackers, chutney and cheese from my cheese shop. Washed down with a funky orange wine we bought from a wine bar in Paris last year.
In related news, the Escoffier demi-glace with the brown sauce and roux and tomato paste and all the reducing.... it was worth doing that time, but for the above I just did it restaurant style and reduced stock I had in the freezer down to a concentrate. It could have been more, so that's what I'll try next time (as a guide I've read reduce down as much as 9/10), but it's looking like that's the way forward and worth doing with my stocks for sauces.
This Easter weekend was my annual lamb roast. New season, salt marsh rack of lamb. Browned (esp the fat) in a pan and all sides. Roast for 10 mins (I did 3 racks, not sure it makes a bit of difference whether it is a rack or triple chop or 1 or 3!) on 220C (conventional oven). Brush with English mustard then pat in diced fresh mint and parsley (and chives if I would have remembered), another 2-3 mins in the oven (touch to check), let rest at least 5, then serve. I tried to do a sauce but it was dreadful. For a single rack I reckon next time I could do similar to the above, just roast it in the saucepan, deglaze with wine, reduce with some stock/demi. Maybe finish with butter and/or thicken with a roux. Could stir in more mustard and/or redcurrant jelly. Anyway, besides all that, the lamb was delicious and a perfect medium.