Tournedos Lesdiguières

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide 5-quart (4.7 L) pot
• •Small paring knife and sturdy teaspoon or melon baller
• •Large ridged cast-iron grill pan or outdoor grill
• •Rimmed baking sheet
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Kitchen twine
• •Warmed oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Parboil the onions

   Bring a wide pot of water to a steady simmer with 1½ teaspoons of the salt. Lower in the whole onions and simmer for 20 to 28 minutes, turning them once, until a skewer enters with slight resistance but the layers still hold together. Drain and cool only until they can be handled. Slice a shallow lid from each top, level the root end without cutting through it, then remove the center with a paring knife and teaspoon, leaving two sturdy outer layers and an intact bottom. If a case tears, stand it in a snug ovenproof ramekin while it glazes. Ça se rattrape.

   The onion should be almost cooked before it is hollowed. A raw onion case will remain harsh beneath the beef, while an onion boiled until collapsing cannot support the tournedos.
2. 2

   Cream the spinach

   Return the onion water to a simmer. Add the spinach in batches and blanch each for 30 to 45 seconds, just until collapsed and bright green. Drain, cool under cold running water, then squeeze it exceptionally dry by handfuls and chop it finely. Melt the unsalted butter in a broad pan, add the spinach, cream, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, then cook over medium heat until the cream clings to the leaves and no liquid runs when the spinach is pushed aside. If it looks loose, keep cooking and stirring. Watery spinach would flood the onion cases, but another minute in the pan puts it right.

3. 3

   Fill and cloak

   Warm the Mornay sauce gently until it falls from a spoon in a thick ribbon. If it has tightened, whisk in the milk a teaspoon at a time; if beads of fat appear, take the pan off the heat and whisk in a teaspoon of cold milk until smooth. Fill each onion case two-thirds full with the creamed spinach, keeping the source recipe's proportion, then cover the spinach completely with Mornay sauce up to the rim. Set the cases on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

4. 4

   Ready the fierce heat

   Set an oven rack about 6 inches (15 cm) below the broiler and heat the broiler to its highest setting. Heat a large ridged cast-iron grill pan over high heat for 5 minutes, or prepare an outdoor grill for fierce direct heat. Tie each tournedos around its circumference with kitchen twine so it keeps a compact shape. Dry the beef thoroughly, season it with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper, then brush it lightly with the clarified butter.

5. 5

   Grill and glaze

   Lay the tournedos on the hot grill and leave them untouched for 3 to 4 minutes, until deeply browned and willing to release. If one sticks, give it another 30 seconds rather than tearing its crust. Turn the beef and immediately slide the onions beneath the broiler. Grill the second side for 2 to 4 minutes, aiming for an internal temperature of 125 to 130°F (52 to 54°C) before resting for medium-rare, or continue to your preferred doneness. Broil the onions for 3 to 5 minutes, until the Mornay is bronzed and bubbling at the rims. If the sauce colors before the beef is ready, move the tray down one rack and switch off the broiler; the retained heat will hold the cases without burning them.

6. 6

   Build the crown

   Rest the tournedos for 4 minutes while the onions settle, then remove the twine. Arrange the four onion cases in a crown on a warmed oval platter, leaving the center open, and set one tournedos squarely upon each case. Serve at once, while the beef is rosy, the onions tender, and the Mornay still gleams around their edges. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose plain yellow onions that are broad and nearly spherical. Long onions make unstable pedestals, and very sweet onions soften too quickly to hold the beef.
• •The Mornay should be thick enough to coat the spinach without sinking into it. Prepare it separately, as the classical entry intends, then warm it gently. Hard boiling can turn the cheese grainy.
• •Ask for four center-cut medallions of equal thickness. Their matching size is practical, not decorative: they must cook in the same time and sit securely on the onion cases.
• •Serve a supple northern Rhône red or a mature red Burgundy. The wine needs enough freshness for the Mornay and enough structure for the grilled beef, without bullying the spinach.

Advance Preparation

• •The onions can be parboiled and hollowed one day ahead. Refrigerate them covered, then let them lose their chill before filling so their centers heat with the spinach.
• •The creamed spinach and Mornay sauce can be prepared separately one day ahead. Reheat each gently before filling the onions, loosening the Mornay with a little milk if it has set too firmly.
• •The onion cases may be filled and topped up to 4 hours ahead, then refrigerated. Bring them toward room temperature before glazing. Tie and season the beef shortly before cooking; the tournedos themselves wait for no one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 490g)