Tournedos Masséna

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •1-quart (1 L) saucepan
• •Medium heatproof mixing bowl
• •Balloon whisk
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Slotted spoon
• •Wire rack and small baking tray
• •2½-inch (6 to 7 cm) round cutter
• •Kitchen twine

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the components

   Set the marrow rounds in ice-cold water for 30 minutes, changing the water once, then drain and refrigerate them. Take the tournedos from the cold at the same time, tie each around its circumference so it keeps a proud round shape, and pat every surface dry. Cut the pain de mie into four croûtons, butter-fried bread rounds, matching the diameter of the beef. Dry the artichoke bottoms carefully, especially inside their hollows, because water makes the Béarnaise slide away.

   Ask the butcher for four intact marrow rounds removed from straight bones. Split bones are splendid for roasting, but they cannot give the neat slices this garnish requires.
2. 2

   Reduce and clarify

   Combine the wine, vinegar, shallot, peppercorns, and reserved tarragon stems in a small saucepan. Boil until only 2 tablespoons (30 ml) remain, then strain, pressing gently on the solids, and let the reduction cool until warm. Meanwhile, melt 11 tablespoons (165 ml / 156 g) of the butter over low heat. Skim away the white foam and pour the clear golden butterfat into a jug, leaving the milky sediment behind. Keep this clarified butter warm, not hot.

3. 3

   Fry crusts and artichokes

   Heat the oven to 200°F (95°C) and set a rack over a small tray. Melt 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) butter in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium heat, then fry the croûtons for about 2 minutes per side, until evenly crisp and deep butter-gold. Transfer them to the rack in the oven. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) butter to the skillet, warm the artichoke bottoms gently for 2 to 3 minutes, and season them with a small pinch of salt. Cover and keep them barely warm.

4. 4

   Build the Béarnaise

   Bring 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water to a bare tremble in a saucepan, then lower the heat. In a heatproof bowl, whisk the 3 yolks with the strained reduction and 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) cold water. Set the bowl over the water without letting its base touch, and whisk continuously until the yolks become pale, thick, and able to hold the trace of the whisk. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the warm clarified butter first drop by drop, then in a thin stream. Fold in the chopped tarragon and chervil, season with salt, and keep the sauce very stiff, firm enough to mound inside an artichoke bottom. If the sauce beads with oil or splits, stop. Ça se rattrape: whisk 1 teaspoon cold water in a clean bowl, then feed in the broken sauce a teaspoon at a time until it smooths. If it still refuses, whisk the reserved yolk with 1 teaspoon water and rebuild the sauce into it. Hold the finished Béarnaise between 110 and 120°F (43 and 49°C), stirring occasionally; warmer than 140°F (60°C), it can curdle.

   A properly stiff Béarnaise leaves a clean ridge when pushed with a spoon. If it becomes too tight while waiting, whisk in warm water a few drops at a time, never enough to make it flow.
5. 5

   Fry the tournedos

   Wipe the skillet clean and heat it over medium-high heat. Season the tournedos generously with the remaining seasoning salt and the ground pepper. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) butter; when its foam subsides and it smells nutty, place in the beef with space between each piece. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes without disturbing, turn, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, and cook the second side for 2 to 3 minutes while basting with the foaming butter. Briefly roll the edges against the pan. For medium-rare, remove the tournedos at 122 to 125°F (50 to 52°C); they will rise as they rest. If the butter blackens before the beef browns, lift out the meat, wipe the pan, and begin again with the reserved butter. Burnt butter is not fond.

   The tournedos must meet a properly heated pan and then remain still. Moving them early tears away the forming crust and leaves the beef pale.
6. 6

   Poach the marrow

   Rest the tournedos on a rack for 5 to 7 minutes. While they rest, bring the 4 cups (960 ml / 960 g) water and 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 18 g) salt to 176 to 185°F (80 to 85°C), below a simmer. Lower in the cold marrow rounds and poach for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, until opalescent and tender but still intact. Lift them carefully with a slotted spoon and blot on a lint-free towel. If their edges begin melting, remove them immediately and set them on a cool plate; the centres will firm enough to place.

7. 7

   Assemble without delay

   Set one hot croûton in the centre of each warmed plate and place a tournedos squarely upon it. Lay one poached marrow round in the middle of each tournedos. Arrange three warm artichoke bottoms around each portion, hollow side up, and fill each with a heaped spoonful of stiff Béarnaise. Do not pour the sauce over the beef; the artichokes carrying it are part of the dish's exact architecture. Serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for four evenly cut centre tournedos from the heart of the fillet. Perfectly matched thickness matters more here than extravagant grading because all four pieces must reach the table together.
• •Frozen artichoke bottoms are excellent when available. Canned bottoms packed plainly in water are the next honest choice; avoid anything marinated in oil, garlic, or herbs, which changes the dish entirely.
• •The marrow must stay cold until poaching and the water must remain below a simmer. A rolling boil renders the marrow into the water, leaving you with oily liquid and nothing handsome enough to crown the beef.
• •Pour a mature Médoc, another supple red Bordeaux, or a structured red Burgundy. The wine needs freshness for the Béarnaise and enough body for the marrow, not brute force.

Advance Preparation

• •The wine and vinegar reduction can be made one day ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Warm it gently before whisking it into the yolks.
• •The croûtons can be cut, the tournedos tied, and the artichoke bottoms drained several hours ahead. Keep the beef and artichokes refrigerated, then dry them again before cooking.
• •Soak and portion the marrow earlier the same day, then keep it covered and very cold. Do not poach it until the tournedos are resting.
• •Béarnaise is not a make-ahead sauce. Finish it within 45 minutes of serving, hold it tepid for no longer than an hour, and never refrigerate and reheat it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 330g)