Lightly poached beef

[Jenise]

Every now and then I drop a big hunk of a cheap cut of beef in seasoned water or broth in order to eventually have a pot a feu, a miraton or french dip styled sandwiches, and invariably I'm standing there with a knife and fork guiltily shaving off illicit little bites of the rare, barely cooked edges with the saturated, salty flavors of the cooking broth, and I just love that. It has always been in the back of my mind, therefore, to just make a little extra to feed myself a more substantial serving, but I've never done so.

And so when I tripped across Alice Waters' recipe for Beef a la Ficelle, wherein she poaches a hunk of filet mignon for about half an hour in a heavily seasoned broth, then slices it for serving as one would a roast, nothing would do but that I elevate this little sneak treat of mine to an elegant dinner for the Bobster. Finally got around to that a few days ago.

In a small, 2 qt pot big enough to hold the three inch log of tenderloin I'd secured for this project, I sauteed half an onion, two garlic cloves and two small carrots in a bit of EVOO, and added a bit of white wine, equal amounts chicken and beef broth and a big bay leaf from the garden. That simmered for about half an hour and then got nestled in a bowl of ice to cool down to tepid, as Alice reccomended more of a cold start, while I prepared the radish and cress salad that would be our first course and the side dish I planned, a baked artichoke-stuffed onion on a bed of wilted spinach.

Once in the pot and brought back to heat and then reduced to the lowest simmer, the meat took about 25 minutes to reach an internal 125 F.

So how did I like it? Wasn't thrilled, and I even felt a little foolish for not predicting both of my complaints. Firstly, the internal parts of the big hunk which had no contact with the cooking broth lacked everything that makes the little pot gems of the past so appealing. Secondly, all by itself filet just doesn't have much flavor, and what there is often has a rather livery taste to me, and this did that. Basically, it's why I never ever order filet mignon or prepare filets as individual steaks unless they're going to be enveloped in a robust finishing pan sauce, like Steak Diane or something involving blue cheese and brandy. I don't know why I thought I'd feel different about it prepared this way.

Oh wait, I do know. Alice. She's never steered me wrong before, but she's wrong about this: at the very least, good idea, wrong cut. Will have to re-explore with something else. Or maybe I'm more like my cats than I think, and food just tastes better when it's stolen.

Basically, it's why I never ever order fillet mignon or prepare filets as individual steaks unless they're going to be enveloped in a robust finishing pan sauce, like Steak Diane or something involving blue cheese and brandy. I don't know why I thought I'd feel different about it prepared this way.

Jenise, for the past few years I have had trouble with filet mignon steaks and roasts (my preferred method) until just recently when I went to a grocery store across town that has a fabulous butcher shop. I posted about this about a month or so ago, told where the meat came from (back east) and how the animals were fed. Anyway, I cooked it as a whole roast and it was to die for. My method is to marinate it in soy sauce overnight, the morning of the day of the party, the roast is browned in butter and Worcestershire, then set aside until cooking at 450° for 45 minutes. I told the meat cutter how unhappy I was with past filets...they had no flavor , fatty, had some gristle, etc. Well that was not an issue he told me. The next day I picked up the roast, perfectly tied and ready to cook. It was pricey, but I will do it again....many times.

I just called the market to inquire where they sourced the meat, it is Creek Stone farms in Arkansas. The animals are corn fed.

[Jenise]

Karen, I occasionally roast filet mignons in a similar fashion for higher end dinner parties where my guests are likely to consider themselves pampered by that cut. Lucked into that sequence all on my own, too, but it's certainly the best way to get an even edge-to-edge rare. And I usually procure the meat from Costco, as was the case this time. I sure envy you your great local butcher! I've never seen same here in Washington except at the Pike St. Market.

Jenise -- sounds a little like you have discovered the national dish of Austria.

Tafelspitz.

If you are at all curious about what it was like to be a gourmet in Europe before WWII you should buy a copy of the wonderful old book, "Blue Trout and Black Truffles" by Joseph Wechsberg. Still available on Amazon.

The chapter about Vienna is titled "Tafelspitz for the Hofrat."

The pinnacle of dining out in Vienna was basically boiled beef. Naturally they also served beef consomme. There were side dishes involving applesauce, horseradish, sauerkraut.

Tafelspitz was just one of about 20 cuts of beef you could order in one of the best restaurants. All were boiled in the same way.

I've prepared Tafelspitz. It is hard to cook it long enough to get it really tender...

[Jenise]

Jenise -- sounds a little like you have discovered the national dish of Austria.

Tafelspitz...

AH YES! I've not had the pleasure but you remind me that I know of the Tafelspitz restaurants. Most have died out but I understand one or two still exist and because of my love of things like stewed chicken and pot au feu I've been convinced this is a delicacy I must hunt down should I ever find myself again in Vienna. I didn't relate it to Alice's recipe, but that was probably her inspiration--horseradish sauce was reccomended, not that this is unknown in America for beef.

Jenise
Just for interest the following recipe has worked well for me. It uses individual steaks rather than a larger piece, so there is more surface area and hence more flavour.
I was initially dubious about poaching but the end result won me over. I haven't done it for a while so I'm now thinking of other flavour combinations to try.

Poached Beef

2 Tbs olive oil
2 onions , chopped
2 stalks lemon grass, white only, bruised
2 pieces ginger, bruised
5 star anise
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 1/2 liters rich veal stock
4 pieces eye fillet of beef, each 200 grams
sticky rice to serve

1. 1. Heat oil and cook onion over low heat until soft but not coloured. 2. Add lemon grasss, ginger, star anise, tomato paste and stock, bring to the boil aand simmer for 20 minutes. 3. Add beef to liquid, cover saucepan, remove from heat and stand in a warm place for 20 to 25 minutes. 4. Remove meat from liquid and keep warm. 5. Reduce poaching liquid by two ;thirds. 6. slice beef pieces in 3 for service with sauce and sticky rice.

Servings: 4

[Jenise]

Jenise
Just for interest the following recipe has worked well for me. It uses individual steaks rather than a larger piece, so there is more surface area and hence more flavour.
I was initially dubious about poaching but the end result won me over. I haven't done it for a while so I'm now thinking of other flavour combinations to try.

Like the Asian touch. I'll try again with your recipe and a different cut, then report back, thanks for posting.

This isn't 'lightly poached' - but it's one of the few 'boiled meat' things I enjoy.

This recipe is from a tear-out cook-book from the Australian Woman's Day, October 26, 1982. The recipes are from Peter Russell-Clarke, who was a celebrity cook in Australia at the time. (He was a bearded gnome-like bloke, small in stature, with an engaging larrikin manner. His success as a celebrity cook was puzzling in a way - but another Australian commentator at the time explained it by saying that Russell-Clarke appealed to women of all ages: women over 50 wanted to mother him and women under 50 wanted to have carnal relations with him. However, I digress.)

Be warned, if you cook this: it smells horrible while it is cooking. Boiled meat nearly always does, IMO. But it is delicious to eat.

COLD TOPSIDE

1 kg topside beef
6 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons sherry
6 tablespoons sugar
about 2 cups water (or use red wine, or beef stock)
4 slices fresh root ginger

Trim off the fat from the beef. Put it in the saucepan with the water, bring to the boil, skim off the scum.
Stir in the soy sauce, sherry, sugar and ginger. Cover the pot and simmer gently 2 hours or until it's cooked.
Take the pan off the heat and let the meat cool in the cooking liquid.
Serve cold, sliced thinly.