Tournedos Villaret

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Four 3½-inch (9 cm) fluted tartlet tins
• •Baking weights
• •Food processor or blender
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Cast-iron grill pan or heavy cast-iron skillet
• •Rimmed baking sheet with wire rack
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Small saucepan

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pâte brisée

   Rub the flour, cold butter, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few flat pieces of butter remaining. Add the yolk and 2 tablespoons of the ice water, tossing just until the pâte brisée, the short pastry, holds when pressed. Add the final spoonful of water only if dry flour remains. Flatten into a disc, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes; this rest keeps the shells tender and limits shrinking.

2. 2

   Blind-bake the tartlets

   Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and butter four 3½-inch (9 cm) tartlet tins. Roll the pastry about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick, line the tins, and trim the rims neatly. Prick the bases, chill for 15 minutes, then line with parchment and baking weights. Bake for 12 minutes, remove the weights, and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, until crisp and evenly golden. If a small crack opens, press in a scrap of raw dough while the shell is hot and return it to the oven for 2 minutes. Ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Pass the flageolets

   Warm the drained flageolets with the ¼ cup hot water and 2 tablespoons butter over gentle heat for 5 minutes. Blend until smooth, then press through a fine-mesh sieve; the source asks for a very smooth purée, and the sieve is what delivers it. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and the white pepper. Hold it covered over the lowest heat. If it tightens, beat in hot water a teaspoon at a time; if it becomes loose, stir it over gentle heat until it mounds softly on the spoon.

4. 4

   Grill the garnishes

   Heat the broiler to high. Brush the mushroom caps and tomato halves with the melted butter, then season them lightly with salt and half the black pepper. Broil the mushrooms hollow-side down for 3 minutes, turn them hollow-side up, and add the tomatoes cut-side up. Continue until the mushrooms are browned and tender and the tomato surfaces are blistered but still hold their shape, about 4 minutes. Lower the oven to 250°F (120°C) and keep the garnishes warm for no more than 10 minutes.

5. 5

   Ready the final service

   Set the tartlet shells in the warm oven for 5 minutes and place four plates nearby. Warm the finished Châteaubriand sauce in a small saucepan over the gentlest heat, without boiling. If its butter separates and the surface turns oily, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in 1 teaspoon of cold water until the gloss returns. Keep the purée, shells, garnishes, and sauce within reach before cooking the beef.

6. 6

   Grill the tournedos

   Pat the tournedos completely dry, tie them around the middle if they are not holding a neat round shape, and season with 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining black pepper. Heat a cast-iron grill pan or heavy skillet until fiercely hot, then add the clarified butter. Grill the tournedos without crowding, about 3 to 4 minutes on each broad side for medium-rare, browning the edges briefly as well. If the first surface stays pale, lift the beef out, let the pan recover its heat, dry the meat again, and return it for a short, hard sear. Tenderloin cannot be rescued once overcooked, so use a thermometer: remove it at 125 to 130°F (52 to 54°C) for medium-rare. Rest on a warm rack for 4 minutes, no longer.

   For stricter food-safety guidance, cook whole-muscle beef to 145°F (63°C) and rest it for at least 3 minutes. It will be firmer, so remove it promptly when it reaches the target.
7. 7

   Build and serve

   Fill each hot tartlet shell generously with flageolet purée and set it on a warm plate. Place a tournedos squarely on each tartlet without pressing down. Crown the beef with a grilled mushroom, hollow-side up, and spoon 2 tablespoons of Châteaubriand sauce into each hollow. Set both halves of one grilled tomato beside every tournedos. Carry the plates out immediately. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for four center-cut tournedos of equal thickness, not thin tail pieces. Tie any loose steak around its middle with kitchen twine; an even cylinder browns and cooks evenly.
• •Good canned flageolets are the honest answer for one evening. Rinse them well, warm them with butter, and pass the purée through a sieve. If using dried beans, cook them until completely tender before measuring.
• •Châteaubriand sauce is not an optional flourish. The source places it inside the grilled mushroom, so prepare the finished sauce from its own entry and keep it whole rather than substituting another reduction.
• •A firm plum tomato holds beneath the broiler better than a watery slicing tomato. Out of season, use a good canned whole plum tomato only if it is sturdy enough to drain and brown without collapsing.
• •Pour a structured red Bordeaux or a Cabernet Franc from the Loire. The beef wants tannin, while the flageolets and butter ask for a wine with freshness rather than sheer weight.

Advance Preparation

• •Bake the tartlet shells up to 1 day ahead and store them airtight once cool. Recrisp them for 5 minutes at 350°F (175°C) before filling.
• •Make the flageolet purée up to 1 day ahead. Reheat it slowly with a spoonful of hot water and a small piece of butter, beating until smooth.
• •Prepare the Châteaubriand sauce according to the advance instructions in its own entry. Warm the finished sauce gently near serving time and never let it boil.
• •Remove the mushroom stems, halve the tomatoes, and tie the tournedos several hours ahead. Keep everything chilled, then take the beef out about 30 minutes before grilling. Do not assemble the tartlets early; the shells soften and the tenderloin waits for no one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 415g)