Beef Tenderloin with Coffee & Cocoa Coating

[Bill Miller]

Beef Tenderloin with Coffee & Cocoa Coating

Serves 4 as Main Dish.

This is based on Robert Del Grande' recipe. It has been published in the Houston Chronicle and numerous cookbooks. It should be served with grits and some sort of bitter greens. The beef comes out with almost a custard texture when cooked this way. He also prepared it on a Julia Child episode.

• 1 2 lb beef fillet (large end)
  
• 1 tsp each, salt & pepper
  
• 2 T each, fine ground coffee & EVOO
  
• 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  
• 2 T butter, divided
  
• 3/4 lb shiitakes, stems removed, caps quartered
  
• 1 T butter
  
• 1/2 large white onion, chopped
  
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
  
• 2 Pasilla chilis,stemmed,seeded
  
• 1 6 in. white corn tortilla
  
• 2-1/2 c chicken stock
  
• 1/4 c heavy cream
  
• 1 tsp each, salt, brown sugar
  

Tie fillet with string at 1/2 inch intervals. Sprnkle with salt and pepper; rub with olive oil. Combine coffee, cocoa and cinnamon in small bowl and mix well. Coat fillet evenly with mixture and let stand 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400. Place fillet on a rack in a roasting pan; roast 10 min. Immediately reduce heat to 250 and continue roasting. After 20 minutes check internal temp of fillet--125/med rare, 135/medium. When desired doneness reached remove from the oven and keep warm.

Melt one Tbs butter in a skillet over med-high heat until foaming. Add quartered shiitake caps and saute until done. Set aside and keep warm.

Melt butter in a saucepan over med-high heat-add onions and garlic --saute until browned. Add chilis and torn tortilla; saute slowly until golden brown--reduce heat if necessery. Add chickenstock and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer 10 min. Remove from heat and let cool. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth- about one min. Strain and stir in cream, salt, and brown sugar; blend well. add stock to thin if necessery-- set aside and keep warm.

Remove string from fillet and slice 1/4 inch thick. Serve with mushrooms and pour Pasilla sauce over.

Note: The Pasilla chili is a dried form of the chilaca chili. It anges in color from dark brown to black, 6-8 inches long, also called chili negro.

Keywords: Main Dish, Easy, Beef, Dinner

( RG1488 )