Beef tenderloin is expensive. Don't substitute for a cheaper cut. You. Are. Worth. It. This makes about 15 pieces of other-wordly beef on bread. Cut the recipe in half or a quarter if you're cooking for only you and/or a special date. And make sure that person is special. (Otherwise, serve them marginally OK top sirloin.)
“Holy fuck." - everyone who eats this
Ingredients:
2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons tarragon minced, fresh (or 1 Tablespoon dried)
2 Tablespoons horseradish (prepared, in a jar)
1 lb. beef tenderloin
Fresh parsley
1 baguette or French bread (I used gluten-free)
Olive oil
Pepper
Preparation:
Whisk the first four ingredients together and chill. (I mean, chill the sauce. You shouldn't chill. You have work to do.) Sprinkle the beef with pepper and cut into 15 (or so) thin slices. Let sit until room temperature. Chop the parsley. Toast bread in 350 oven or keep at room temperature if you wish -- cut lengthwise to open it up, then cut in about 1-inch slices.
Cook & Serve:
Heat a skillet (I use cast iron) over medium-high heat with a Tablespoon or two of olive oil to coat. Add beef to pan and turn frequently until a warm-pink medium-rare, just a few minutes. [TIP: Cook only as much beef as will be eaten immediately, while it's hot.] Spread horseradish sauce on bread. Top with a piece of seared beef and sprinkle with parsley. Devour like a winter-starved wolf.
A Little Backstory:
Pre-apartment, when I lived in a big suburban two-story with a huge kitchen and formal dining room, I'd hold a themed, costumed, dinner party every year for Halloween. That was the first time I made these Beef Bites -- while everyone huddled around the hot stove in their ridiculous Circus of the Dead costumes, waiting for the next batch of tenderloin to sear. I don't miss the upkeep of the big house, but I do miss that kitchen. Especially the cupboard space.
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