Tournedos à la Mexicaine

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •1-quart (1-liter) heavy saucepan
• •Broiler-safe rimmed pan with wire rack
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Kitchen twine
• •Tongs

Instructions

1. 1

   Shape the tournedos

   Pat the beef very dry. If the medallions are uneven, tie a loop of kitchen twine around each circumference and draw it gently into a neat round without squeezing the meat. Leave them unseasoned while the vegetables cook; salt goes on just before frying so the surfaces remain dry.

   Ask for center-cut tenderloin medallions of equal thickness. Matching weight matters less than matching thickness, because four pieces that stand equally high will finish together.
2. 2

   Grill the capsicums

   Set an oven rack about 4 inches (10 cm) below the broiler and heat it fully. Put the whole capsicums on a foil-lined broiler pan and grill them for 12 to 15 minutes, turning as each face blackens and blisters. Transfer them to a bowl and cover with an inverted plate for 10 minutes, then peel away the loosened skin without rinsing off their flavor. Remove the stems and seeds, flatten the flesh, and divide each capsicum into two broad panels so every tournedos receives exactly half of one.

3. 3

   Reduce the tomato fondue

   If using fresh tomatoes, peel them after a brief dip in boiling water, halve them crosswise, and squeeze out the seeds and clear juice. Press the flesh lightly in a sieve, reserving a spoonful of that juice, then chop it. Melt 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) of the butter in a small saucepan, add the tomato and ⅛ teaspoon of the salt, and cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir more often as it thickens. Fondue here means the pulpy state produced by patient cooking, and it is ready when the tomato has deepened to brick red, a spoon drawn through leaves a clean path, and exactly ¼ cup (60 ml) remains. If it tightens before the raw tomato smell has gone, loosen it with the reserved juice and continue; if a watery ring remains, keep reducing. The clock doesn't decide it.

4. 4

   Grill the mushrooms

   Return the broiler to high. Arrange the mushroom caps gill-side up on a wire rack set over the broiler pan and grill for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn and grill the rounded sides until browned and tender, another 3 to 4 minutes. Season them with ⅛ teaspoon of the salt and let any gathered liquid drain away. Set the caps gill-side up on warm plates. The brigade grilled these while the tournedos fried; doing them five minutes earlier changes nothing and gives the home cook two free hands.

5. 5

   Fry the tournedos

   Season the dried tournedos on every side with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Heat a heavy 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Add the oil and remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) butter together, keeping the quantities equal as the source directs. As soon as the butter foams, subsides, and the fat shimmers, lay in the beef with at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) between the pieces. Fry without moving for 2½ to 3 minutes, turn once, and cook the second side for 2 to 3 minutes, briefly rolling the edges against the pan to color them. Pull the tournedos at 125 to 130°F (52 to 54°C) for medium-rare or 135 to 140°F (57 to 60°C) for medium. If the fat stops sizzling and liquid gathers during the first minute, lift the beef out immediately, pour away the watery liquid, reheat the pan, and return the tournedos in two batches. Ça se rattrape. Leaving them in a cool, crowded pan is what turns the fillets grey.

6. 6

   Rest and assemble

   Rest the tournedos on a warm plate for 5 to 7 minutes while you rewarm the tomato fondue gently. Place one grilled mushroom gill-side up on each plate and spread precisely 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of fondue inside it. Remove the twine, set a tournedos over each mushroom, and fold one broad half-capsicum over the beef. Spoon any clear resting juices lightly around the stacks, keeping the layers visible. Serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The large mushroom in the source was a cultivated cap broad enough to support one tournedos. A portobello is its honest home-market equivalent: remove the woody stem, grill the cap until tender, and drain it before plating so the tomato fondue stays concentrated.
• •Tomato fondue is not cheese here. The word carries the technique: tomatoes are peeled, pressed, and cooked in butter until they become a dense pulp. Out of season, use well-drained canned whole plum tomatoes; an honest preserved tomato is better than a pale fresh one.
• •The name Mexicaine is no invitation to add cumin, coriander, chilli powder, garlic, or lime. The source defines this garnish through tomato, capsicum, and mushroom, and those flavors should remain clear.
• •Choose a supple red Bordeaux or a Loire Cabernet Franc with enough freshness for the tomato and capsicum. Avoid a heavily oaked bottle, which can make tender fillet taste oddly sweet.

Advance Preparation

• •The tomato fondue can be cooked up to 2 days ahead, chilled in a covered container, and reheated over low heat. If it sets too firmly, loosen it with a teaspoon of water before measuring one tablespoon per mushroom.
• •The capsicums can be grilled, peeled, and divided up to 1 day ahead. Cover and chill them, then let them lose their refrigerator chill while the tomato fondue reheats.
• •Trim the mushrooms and tie the tournedos earlier on the day of serving, but grill the mushrooms and fry the beef at the last moment. The finished stack does not improve by waiting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 285g)