Sunday Roasts (5 page)

This recipe is an unusual yet impressive way to prepare a beef tenderloin. The meat is butterflied and pounded to an even thickness, then topped with a Mediterranean melange of sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, creamy mascarpone, and grated Parmesan. Rolled tightly into a cylinder and tied, the tenderloin is roasted, and then carved into slices that reveal an interesting pattern of colors.

Serves 6

COST
: Splurge

PREP TIME
: 30 minutes

START-TO-FINISH TIME
: 1 hour, 40 minutes, including resting time for cooked meat

MATERIALS
: Kitchen twine

1¼ lb/550 g spinach, stemmed and cleaned (not baby spinach)

8 oz/225 g mascarpone

¼ cup/30 g grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano

½ tsp dried crushed rosemary (see cooking tip)

½ tsp dried thyme leaves

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

One 2½-lb/1.2-kg trimmed center cut beef tenderloin (see market note)

½ cup/115 g drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley (optional)

1.
Set aside 10 to 12 large spinach leaves. Blanch the remaining spinach in boiling water to cover until just wilted, for 1 to 2 minutes. Place the spinach in a strainer and run under cold water to cool. Drain well, then place in a clean kitchen towel; squeeze and wring out all excess water. Chop the spinach coarsely.

2.
In a medium bowl, mix together the mascarpone and Parmesan, then add the cooked spinach, rosemary, thyme, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Mix until well blended.

3.
Make a slit lengthwise down the center of the tenderloin, cutting two-thirds of the way through the meat. Spread the meat open and pound with a meat pounder until it is ½ in/12 mm thick. Season with salt and pepper.

4.
Lay the reserved spinach leaves over the meat in an overlapping layer, leaving a 1-in/2.5-cm border all around. Next, spread the sun-dried tomatoes over the spinach leaves. Shape the spinach-mascarpone mixture into a log the same length as the meat and center it over the tomatoes. Starting at a long edge, roll the tenderloin as tightly as possible into a cylinder, enclosing the spinach-mascarpone log as you roll. Tie the meat tightly at 1-in/2.5-cm intervals. If any of the spinach filling starts to ooze out at the ends, remove it and save for another use (such as the filling for an omelet). (The tenderloin can be prepared 4 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before roasting.)

5.
Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C/gas 5.

6.
Heat the oil in a medium, flameproof roasting pan/tray set over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the tenderloin and brown well on all sides, for 5 minutes. Salt and pepper the meat generously. Place the pan/tray in the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 135 to 140°F/57 to 60°C for medium-rare, for about 25 minutes. You can also check for doneness by making a slit in the center of the meat to check its color. It should be very pink when ready to come out of the oven.

7.
Transfer the meat to a platter and tent loosely with foil. Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the strings and cut the tenderloin into slices ½ in/12 mm thick and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with some parsley, if desired, and serve.

SIDES
: Golden Potato Gratin and blanched tender green beans sprinkled with sea salt would make excellent garnishes. If you want to be more adventurous, replace the green beans with broccoli rabe, the bitter Italian green. Blanch, then sauté the stalks in olive oil along with garlic, pine nuts, and raisins.

LEFTOVER TIP
: For a simple lunch or supper, serve leftover slices at room temperature with a green salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

MARKET NOTE
: When buying the tenderloin for this recipe, it’s important that you ask for a center cut. You want the diameter of the roast to be the same throughout and not tapered at one end, if possible.

One of the most celebrated roasts of all time, classic beef Wellington is an elaborate preparation in which a tenderloin is topped with foie gras and mushroom duxelles, then encased in puff pastry and baked. The catch is to make certain that the meat and the pastry cook to the correct doneness at exactly the same time. In my updated version, I use individual tenderloin steaks instead of a whole roast, and replace the foie gras and mushrooms with caramelized shallots, grated Gruyère, and a generous dollop of whole-grain Dijon mustard. The petite steaks with their new adornments are wrapped in squares of purchased puff pastry and can be readied several hours ahead. At roasting time, you’ll discover as I did that both the meat and the pastry cook to perfection in only a few minutes!

Serves 4

COST
: Splurge

PREP TIME
: 55 minutes including sautéing the shallots and assembling the steaks in puff pastry

START-TO-FINISH TIME
: 2 hours, including chilling and resting time for cooked meat

½ lb/225 g shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise

1½ tbsp unsalted butter

3½ tbsp olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Four 1-in/2.5-cm-thick beef tenderloin steaks, 4½ oz/130 g each (see market note)

About 5 tsp whole-grain Dijon mustard

¼ cup/20 g grated Gruyère cheese

Flour for rolling out the pastry

1 sheet puff pastry from a 17.3-oz/490-g package, defrosted

1 beaten egg

Canola or olive oil for the baking sheet/tray

Fleur de sel or Maldon salt (see market note)

1.
Cut the halved shallots crosswise into slices ½ in/12 mm thick. Melt the butter and 1½ tbsp of the oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the shallots and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are nicely browned, translucent, and tender, for 12 minutes or longer.

2.
Salt and pepper the steaks on one side. Heat a heavy, medium frying pan for 3 to 4 minutes over high heat until the pan is very hot. Add the remaining 2 tbsp oil and, when hot, sear the steaks for just 1 minute per side. Remove the steaks to a dinner plate and let cool for 5 minutes. Top each steak with a generous teaspoon of mustard, one-quarter of the shallots, and 1 tbsp of the cheese.

3.
On a floured work surface, roll the puff pastry into a 12-in/30.5-cm square and cut it into 4 squares. Brush a ½-in/12-mm border around each square with the beaten egg, and refrigerate the remaining beaten egg.

4.
Place a pastry square (brushed-side down) over a steak; carefully lift up the meat and press the pastry around its sides, then seal tightly on the bottom. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet/tray, and repeat with remaining steaks. Refrigerate the Mini Wellingtons for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

5.
Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C/gas 7.

6.
Brush the top and sides (but not the bottoms) of the pastry enclosing each steak with some of the reserved beaten egg and sprinkle the tops with a pinch of fleur de sel.

7.
Roast the Mini Wellingtons until the pastry is golden brown and a thermometer inserted through the pastry into the center of the meat registers 135 to 140°F/57 to 60°C for medium-rare, for 15 to 18 minutes.

8.
Transfer the Mini Wellingtons to a rack and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

SIDES
: These Mini Wellingtons are rich so you might want to offer simple garnishes. Try them with asparagus seasoned with butter and a sprinkle of sea salt and with a watercress salad dressed in red wine vinaigrette.

LEFTOVER TIP
: It’s unlikely you’ll have any Mini Wellingtons left over, but if so, they make great cold sandwiches.

MARKET NOTES
: For this recipe, try to buy tenderloin steaks that are as close in size and weight as possible so that they will roast at the same time. Steaks that are 1 in/2.5 cm thick and about 4½ oz/130 g work best.

Fleur de sel (which translates as “flower of salt”) is a French sea salt that is harvested by hand. Known for its rich taste of trace minerals, it is a great flavor booster and is often sprinkled on finished dishes as a final seasoning.

Maldon salt is an English sea salt with large crystals and a robust flavor.

Both fleur de sel and Maldon salt are available in specialty food stores and in some supermarkets.

If you’ve never roasted short ribs, you’re in for a treat. This inexpensive cut takes to slow oven cooking naturally, with mouthwatering results. In the following recipe, these ribs are rubbed with an earthy blend of brown sugar, smoked paprika, and other robust spices, then browned and simmered in a barbecue sauce, which conveniently cooks along with them. When done, the short ribs are fork-tender and bursting with smoky, sweet, and tart flavors. An added bonus is that these ribs improve in flavor when made in advance and reheated.

Serves 6

COST
: Inexpensive

PREP TIME
: 30 minutes for prepping the ribs and barbecue sauce

START-TO-FINISH TIME
: 2 hours, 30 minutes, plus 6 hours or over-night to marinate the ribs

Ribs

4½ lb/2 kg beef short ribs (10 to 12 ribs, depending on the size)

1½ tbsp light brown sugar

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp smoked paprika (see market note)

1½ tsp kosher salt

1½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Quick Pan Barbecue Sauce

1½ cups/420 g ketchup/tomato sauce

1 cup/200 g light brown sugar

½ cup/120 ml red wine vinegar

¼ cup/60 ml Worcestershire sauce

2½ tbsp dry mustard/mustard powder, such as Coleman’s

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp hot sauce

1½ tsp kosher salt

1½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil for sautéing

2 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)

FOR THE RIBS:

1.
Pat the ribs dry with paper towels/absorbent paper. Mix the brown sugar, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne, and cinnamon in a small bowl and rub on all sides of the ribs. Place the ribs on a large plate, cover with plastic wrap/cling film, and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

2.
Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.

FOR THE SAUCE:

1.
Use a large, heavy, flameproof roasting pan/tray that will hold the ribs comfortably in a single layer. Add ketchup/tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, paprika, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and ½ cup/120 ml water to the pan and whisk until well blended.

2.
Coat a large, heavy frying pan lightly with olive oil and place over medium heat. When hot, sear the ribs on all sides until lightly browned, watching carefully so that their coating does not burn. Place the ribs in the roasting pan/tray and turn to coat well with sauce. Place the pan over 1 to 2 burners on high heat and bring the mixture to a bubbling simmer. Remove and cover the pan tightly with a double thickness of foil. Roast until the ribs are fork-tender, for 1½ to 2 hours or longer.

3.
Remove the ribs from the oven and skim off and discard all the fat (there will be a lot) from the pan. (Ribs can be prepared 1 day ahead; cool them and the sauce to room temperature, but do not skim off fat if making in advance. Remove the ribs to a separate container. Cover and refrig-erate the ribs and the sauce separately. When chilled, the fat in the sauce will congeal and can be removed and discarded easily. To reheat, return the ribs to the pan with the sauce, cover with foil, and place in a 350°F/180°C/gas 4 preheated oven until hot, for 20 to 30 minutes.)

4.
Serve the ribs coated with some sauce and sprinkled with parsley, if desired. Pass any extra sauce in a bowl.

SIDES
: Best-Ever Mashed Potatoes Blue Cheese variation and a green salad would make tempting accompaniments.

LEFTOVER TIP
: These short ribs freeze very well so you can save any leftovers for up to 1 month.

MARKET NOTE
: Spanish smoked paprika, called pimenton, is available in gourmet food stores and in some groceries, or you can order it online from Penzeys at www.penzeys.com. I used the sweet (dulce) style.