Tournedos Montgomery

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Small piping bag with a ½-inch (1.25 cm) open-star tip
• •Four 3¼-inch (8 cm) deep tartlet molds or a standard muffin tin for the Crêpes aux Épinards (No. 2138)
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Tongs and a small wire rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Stage the components

   Take the tournedos from the cold 25 minutes before cooking. Tie each once around its middle if needed to keep an even cylinder, then pat every surface thoroughly dry. Melt the butter gently, skim away the foam, and pour the clear butterfat from the milky sediment; you need about 4 tablespoons (60 ml / 55 g) of clarified butter. Heat the oven to 225°F (110°C), set the four finished Crêpes aux Épinards (No. 2138) on a covered tray, and warm them for 8 to 10 minutes without letting their edges dry. Keep them covered in the turned-off oven with four dinner plates.

2. 2

   Reduce the Soubise

   Put the prepared Soubise in a small heavy saucepan and bring it to the gentlest simmer. Stir steadily, scraping the corners, until it has reduced from 1 cup (240 ml / 245 g) to about ½ cup (120 ml / 125 g) and a lifted spoon leaves ridges that hold for several seconds. This piping consistency is essential: loose Soubise slides from the steak instead of forming a rosette. If it tightens into a paste, ça se rattrape: whisk in hot water 1 teaspoon at a time until it is smooth and firm enough to hold the grooved shape. Cover and hold it off the heat.

3. 3

   Sear the tournedos

   Season the tournedos on every side with the salt and pepper just before cooking. Heat a dry 12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, then add 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 41 g) of the clarified butter. When the butter moves quickly across the pan and gleams, add the steaks with space between them. They must hiss immediately. If they don't, lift them out at once, heat the skillet another minute, pat the undersides dry, and try again. Ça se rattrape. Cook without shifting them for 2½ to 3 minutes, until the first face is deeply bronzed, then turn, add the remaining clarified butter, and baste while the second side cooks for 2 to 3 minutes. Briefly color the edges with tongs. For medium-rare, remove the steaks at 122 to 125°F (50 to 52°C); they will rise as they rest.

   Dry beef and a properly heated pan make the crust. Moisture or crowding cools the skillet, and a cool skillet steams the fillet gray.
4. 4

   Rest and ready

   Rest the tournedos on a small rack for 5 minutes so their undersides stay dry. Rewarm the Soubise over low heat, stirring until supple, then transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch (1.25 cm) open-star tip. Test one small rosette on a plate. If it slumps, return the Soubise to the saucepan and reduce it for another 30 to 60 seconds; if the ridges split, loosen it with a few drops of hot water.

5. 5

   Build the Montgomery

   Center one warm spinach pancake on each heated plate and set a rested tournedos squarely on top. Pipe a compact, generous rosette of reduced Soubise onto each steak, keeping enough height for the grooves to show. Lay one fine slice of truffle in the center of every rosette. Serve at once, while the beef remains tender and the Soubise holds its ivory gloss. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for center-cut tournedos of equal thickness and have the butcher tie them if necessary. Uniform shape matters more than extravagant sourcing because four uneven steaks cannot finish together.
• •Clarified butter is still butter, and it is the honest fat for this high, fast sear. Removing the milk solids lets the pan reach browning heat without filling the butter with black, bitter specks.
• •Fresh black truffle is splendid when its season and your purse agree. Otherwise, use a good whole preserved truffle and cut four fine rounds; truffle oil cannot supply the texture or quiet aroma of the slice specified by the dish.
• •Set the pancakes, piping bag, truffle, and warm plates before the beef meets the skillet. The steaks can rest for five minutes, but they cannot wait while you search a drawer for the star tip.
• •Pour a supple red Bordeaux with enough freshness to meet the Soubise and enough structure for the beef. The plate is already complete, so it needs no extra vegetables, herbs, or decorative sauce.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the Crêpes aux Épinards (No. 2138) up to 1 day ahead. Cool them completely, cover, and refrigerate; warm them gently under cover so their edges remain tender.
• •The Soubise may be prepared up to 2 days ahead and chilled with parchment pressed against its surface. Reheat it gently and perform the final reduction shortly before serving.
• •The tournedos may be trimmed and tied several hours ahead. Refrigerate them uncovered on a rack, then take them out 25 minutes before searing and dry them again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 170g)