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Roasted Fillet of Beef with Black Pepper

"As he chops, cuts, slices, trims, shapes, or threads through the string,
a butcher is as good a sight to watch as a dancer or a mime."
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A Beef Gem in the Rough
The New York Times August 7, 2002
By Florence Fabricant

"Judy Rodgers has a penchant for forthright simplicity. So a whole fillet of beef, a costly cut that is usually garnished and sauced in grand style, seems an odd choice for her.
‘I don't think of fillet of beef as a glamour dish,’ she explained. ‘It's suave all right, a luxury meat, but it's great in rustic, casual settings. The way I like fillet is when it's not all gussied up on a pedestal. I like the flavor. It becomes a nice little roast.’
She hauled a five-pound length of beef onto a work surface. She trimmed off the silver skin and some excess fat and cut a few inches from the narrow end because it would cook too fast, saving it for another use. She placed the meat on a sheet of parchment, then reached for sea salt.
‘Presalting is one of the most important steps when you prepare meats and poultry,’ she said. ‘I calculate about three-fourths of a teaspoon per pound of protein. I use fine sea salt. I started salting about 20 years ago and found it always made the meat taste better and have superior texture. The salt breaks into the cells and enhances internal juiciness. Surface salting can dry things out, but when you allow enough time for the salt to penetrate, it makes a real difference. Fillet can sometimes have a slightly funky, gamy flavor, and salting gets rid of it.’
After the salting, she rubbed the meat all over with black peppercorns that she crushed in a big mortar — this was the rustic part. Then she trussed up the meat.
‘Even though the meat has a pretty consistent shape, tying allows it to roast evenly and to rest evenly,’ she said. ‘Tying it is like wrapping a gift from Macy's. Some butchers use a running length of string, but I tie each section separately. I think it makes carving easier.’ She wrapped the meat loosely in parchment and put it in the refrigerator. She would keep it there for at least 24 hours to let the salt do its work. The next day she set the meat out for about an hour before she cooked it. The cooking was quick and easy.
‘You must start it at room temperature,’ she said. ‘The ultimate thing you're shooting for is uniform temperature, so you don't have a problem of your meat
being cold in the middle. You have to brown the fillet before you roast it because you can't leave it in the oven long enough for it to brown on its own. You can
sear it in a big pan on top of the stove, on a grill or under the broiler.
‘First I rub the fillet with oil. After it's seared, it goes into a pretty hot oven for about 20 minutes. It's not completely done when I pull it out of the oven. You
get about another degree a minute as it rests.’
She let the meat sit for about 15 minutes, tested it with a small thermometer,
then snipped the trussing and began to carve with a fat chef's knife.
‘It came up to 131 degrees,’ she said. ‘Beautiful. I find a chef's knife is more efficient than a long, narrow one to get an easy slice without those silly
little ridges.’
‘If you want a sauce, some fresh, chunky salsa will do,’ she said.
‘Sometimes I make a horseradish sauce with fresh grated horseradish, mascar-
pone, cream and black pepper. But mostly I like to let the meat stand on its own. And I think it's more delicious tepid than hot.’ She cut a small slice and nibbled
it. ‘It's great for summer, with a big tomato salad. And any leftovers are fabulous
for sandwiches.’ [It is also great for a Valentine’s Day dinner!]
Judy Rodgers is the chef and an owner of Zuni Cafe in San Francisco."

Roasted Fillet of Beef with Black Pepper
Time: 2 hours, plus overnight seasoning
Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

1 whole fillet of beef, about 5 1/2 pounds
1 tablespoon fine sea salt, approximately
1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.

1. Trim meat, removing excess fat and silver skin. Cut off about 4 inches
of narrow end, about 1 pound, and reserve for another use [such as
beef sauté].
2. Place fillet on large sheet of parchment paper. Dust all over with salt,
using 3/8 teaspoon salt to a pound of meat. Roll in peppercorns. Tie with butcher's string at 2-inch intervals. Wrap meat in parchment loosely, and refrigerate at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours.
3. Remove fillet from refrigerator an hour before cooking. Rub all over with oil. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Sear fillet on all sides in a heavy roasting
pan over two burners, under broiler or on grill. Or cut in half and sear in
two pieces in large, heavy skillet.
4. Place in oven in roasting pan. Roast 15 minutes. Test with instant-read meat thermometer: if thickest part registers about 105 degrees, meat will
be very rare when finished. For medium rare, roast 20 to 25 minutes,
until thermometer registers 115 degrees. For medium, roast longer, to
125 degrees. At these temperatures, meat will be slightly undercooked,
but will continue to cook after it is removed from oven. Place meat on
cutting board. Allow it to rest 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Remove string, cut meat in 1/2-inch thick slices, arrange on a platter,
and serve.

 Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company, used with permission

 
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