Recipe Index

French | Beef Tournedos in Red Wine Sauce

Posted on October 9, 2012

This is a great recipe because it is so easy and so good. All you need to do is sauté steaks and then make a quick pan sauce. You could leave out the crouton to save time. I recommend holding off on the salt a bit and salting to your taste rather than just dumping in the amount suggested. I used a French Pinot Noir to keep with the theme. It was a delicious dinner!

Yield: 4 servings

beef tournedos in red wine sauce

Ingredients

1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms (6-8)

1 cup hot water

1 teaspoon high-heat oil

4 slices firm white bread (about 4 ounces)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 well-trimmed beef fillet steaks (about 6 ounces each and 1 1/4 inches thick)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup fruity dry red wine (such as Pinot Noir)

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon dry mustard

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (Skip, if not making the croutons.)

Put the mushrooms in a small bowl, cover them with the hot water, and set them aside to soak for a least 1 hour.

(Skip, if not making the croutons.) Meanwhile, spread the oil lightly over a cookie sheet. Using a round cookie cutter about 3 inches in diameter, cut a round crouton from each of the 4 slices of bread. Press the croutons lightly into the oil on the cookie sheet, then turn them over so they are oiled on both sides. Bake the croutons for about 7 minutes, until they are nicely browned on both sides and crisp. Set the croutons aside.

After the mushrooms have soaked for a least an hour, lift them from the soaking liquid, reserving the liquid. Remove and discard the mushroom stems, or keep them for stock, and cut the mushroom caps into 1/2-inch pieces. You should have about 3/4 cup. Slowly pour the soaking liquid into another bowl and discard the sandy residue in the bottom of the original bowl. Set aside.

At cooking time, preheat the oven to 140 degrees. (This is for holding the meat, I just rested it outside the oven and skipped this step.)

Heat the butter in a large skillet until hot. Sprinkle the tournedos with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper and place them in the skillet. Arrange the mushroom pieces around them and sauté the tournedos over medium-high heat for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Transfer to a warm platter and let them rest in the oven while you make the sauce. (I rested outside the oven.)

Add the reserved mushroom liquid to the drippings and mushrooms in the skillet, along with the wine, ketchup, mustard, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and boil gently for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. You should have about 1 cup.

Place a crouton in the center of each of four warmed dinner plates and place a tournedo on top of each crouton. Coat the meat with sauce, spoon the rest of the sauce around the meat, and serve.

 

(Ref. "Beef Tournedos in Mushroom, Mustard, and Red Wine Sauce" recipe, Essential Pépin.)