Tournedos Mikado

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •Small broiler-safe rimmed tray
• •Medium saucepan
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Kitchen twine
• •Warm round serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the crosnes

   Put the crosnes in a sturdy kitchen towel with the coarse salt. Gather the towel around them and rub firmly for 2 to 3 minutes, rolling the little tubers against one another to remove their thin brown skin. Rinse them under cold water until both salt and loosened skin are gone. Their knobbled shape makes peeling with a knife unnecessary, and rather absurd.

   Fresh crosnes should be firm, pale, and crisp. Keep the cleaned tubers in cold water while you finish the preparation so their exposed surfaces don't discolor.
2. 2

   Blanch until tender

   Bring a medium saucepan of water to a lively boil and season it with ½ teaspoon of the fine salt. Add the crosnes and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, tasting one after 5 minutes. It should be tender at the ridges but retain a gentle bite at its center. Drain thoroughly and spread the crosnes on a clean towel to dry. If they begin splitting, drain them at once. Ça se rattrape: handle them with a spoon rather than tossing them later, and they will still make a handsome center garnish.

3. 3

   Grill the tomatoes

   Heat the broiler to high with a rack about 5 inches (13 cm) below the element. Cut the tomatoes laterally through their equators, squeeze each half gently over the sink to express the seeds and loose juice, then season the cavities with ¼ teaspoon salt and a little pepper. Set them cut-side up on a small broiler-safe tray and broil for 6 to 9 minutes, until the rims are lightly bronzed and the flesh has concentrated but the halves still hold their shape. If juice pools inside, tip it away and return the tomatoes to the broiler for another minute. A wet tomato cannot support the tournedos, but it can still be dried. Keep the halves warm.

4. 4

   Sear the tournedos

   Pat the tournedos completely dry and season them with the remaining salt and pepper. Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet over medium-high heat until properly hot, then add 3 tablespoons of the butter. As soon as the foam begins subsiding, lay in the beef with room between the pieces. Fry without disturbing for 2 to 3 minutes, turn, and cook the second side for another 2 to 3 minutes, basting with the foaming butter. Brown the narrow edges briefly if needed. Pull the tournedos at 125°F (52°C) for medium-rare or 130°F (54°C) for medium, then rest them for 4 minutes. If the butter turns black and smells bitter, lift out the beef, wipe the pan carefully, add fresh butter, and continue. Ça se rattrape. What cannot be rescued is overcooked tenderloin, so trust the thermometer before the clock.

5. 5

   Butter the crosnes

   While the beef rests, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the dry crosnes and toss gently for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are hot and carry a clear butter sheen. Taste and correct the seasoning. Keep the butter pale gold rather than deeply browned; the crosnes are delicate, and their own sweetness should remain distinct.

6. 6

   Build the crown

   Arrange the four grilled tomato halves in a ring on a warm round platter, cut-side up. Remove the strings from the tournedos and set one squarely on each tomato. Spoon the buttered crosnes generously into the center, letting a few fall naturally between the steaks, then carry the platter straight to the table. No added sauce, no decorative scattering. The butter, the browned beef, and the tomato juices have already done the work. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for center-cut beef tenderloin steaks of equal thickness, not four pieces of equal weight cut into different shapes. Even thickness is what lets every tournedos reach the table at the same doneness.
• •Fresh crosnes appear most often in cool weather at specialist produce markets. If only jarred crosnes are available, drain and rinse them, skip the blanching, and warm them very gently in butter. They will be softer, but the character of the garnish remains.
• •A firm round tomato is the honest replacement for the old Mikado tomato. Avoid very large, watery beefsteak tomatoes: once squeezed and grilled, their broad halves tend to collapse under the meat.
• •Serve with a medium-bodied red that won't bully the sauce-free tenderloin, such as Cabernet Franc from the Loire or a supple red Bordeaux. The platter already contains its vegetable garnish, though crisp potatoes alongside would never cause an argument.

Advance Preparation

• •Clean and blanch the crosnes up to 6 hours ahead. Dry them well, cover, and refrigerate; bring them out while the broiler heats, then finish them in butter during the beef's rest.
• •The tomatoes may be halved, seeded, and left cut-side down on a rack for up to 1 hour before broiling. Season them only shortly before they cook, or the salt will draw out more water than you want.
• •Tie and portion the tournedos earlier in the day, then refrigerate them covered. Take them out about 25 minutes before searing. Do not cook the beef ahead; hot and fast is the dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 295g)