I promised a few tidbits on what I thought was our “best dish” for aphrodisiac night, the “Pepper Crusted Beef with Chocolate Port Sauce”. Let me start by saying that this was divine. It was full-flavored beefy and the sauce did not overwhelm our appreciation of an expensive cut of meat.
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| Our beef entree, alongside "Gratin Dauphinois" and sauteed broccoli rabe! Delicious! |
The sauce sounds heavy and cloying, but upon further inspection of the recipe (which I posted in my blog on March 21st) you’ll notice that the port is boiled down to its very essence and the chocolate is but a hint of said flavor, stirred in as a final step to deepen and to thicken the sauce. The flavors of beef and rosemary – excellent with meat – are ever present and very well balanced.
We all agreed it was delectable; so much so for me that I’m actually considering replacing my yearly Christmas Eve beef tenderloin recipe with this one! Mmmmm! So, a few notes on adapting the original recipe to make it more suitable (and easier to prepare) for a large group:
Let’s talk beef tenderloin for a second. A few years ago I watched an episode of Good Eats, featuring Alton Brown of the Food Network. He gave instructions at that time for dry aging your own meat in the refrigerator to “beef up” the flavor. I’ve been doing this for awhile now, and for every recipe I prepare from whole tenderloin as well as for whole standing rib roasts.
Besides the fact that the meat reduces in water weight and deepens in its rich, beefy flavor, it also is something you do AHEAD; therefore it adds to the advance preparation that makes any dinner party easier to prepare for. If you would like to read up on Alton’s process, as I did, you can simply search “dry aging beef at home, Alton Brown” on Google. A few of his recipes come up for you to look at.
For my part, I simply clean the tenderloin VERY well (I hate any remaining connective tissue on my meat), tie it if necessary and place it on a rack in a deep pan so it can release moisture. I cover the pan with aluminum foil and use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the foil to allow air to circulate over, around and underneath the meat. I place it in the coldest part of my refrigerator and leave it for up to four days before I continue with my recipe. Try this! You end up with much more flavorful meat; of the quality you would expect from higher grades often available only to restaurants.
Long story short, for this recipe (which was written for two, when I needed to prepare it for 12) my husband simply grilled the prepared beef – brushed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper – until done, at which point we rested it, sliced it and served it with the amazing sauce. Nothing about the flavors of the recipe was changed; simply the method of preparation to make it MUCH easier to serve twelve people relatively hot beef tenderloin!
As for the sauce, although it did not specifically note in the recipe that it could be prepared in advance, I did in fact do that as well… Nearly any sauce can be prepared somewhat early; especially one that is stock-based such as this. As a matter of fact, I believe that most sauces have a chance to deepen in flavor – much like soups – if prepared in advance. This one was no exception. I simply followed the directions up to just before the introduction of the chocolate (the only part that I feared wouldn’t hold well) and then placed the sauce in the refrigerator. Just before dinner, I pulled the sauce out, reheated it on the stovetop and whisked in the chocolate. Voila! No effort at the last minute to finish and serve!
I hope these tips help you. They can be applied to so many different recipes and meals. The basic point is this: Be unafraid to find your own way with recipes. The things I changed didn’t affect the flavor outcome of the dish (except possibly for the better) and I kept my sanity intact with eleven others hungrily awaiting their entrée at the table!
ENJOY your cooking and good luck!
