Dinner for Dad
I was blessed to know a good man I called Dad. Self-made, well-dressed, a decorated war hero, gentleman, active citizen and a tough taskmaster. He loved steak and this is my main course, just for him.
TOURNEDOS ROSSINI
2 lb. tenderloin fillet steak, cut into 4 equal pieces
4 tbs of unsalted butter
4 slices of stale bread, (1 day old)
4 slices of foie gras,
1 black truffle, fresh, thinly sliced
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Beef Stock:
1 lb beef bones
1/2 beef shank, small
1/2 oxtail
1 onion, peeled and halved
1 carrot halved lengthways
1 celery stick
1 large Shiitake mushroom
1 dried porcini mushroom, (10g in weight)
1/2 garlic bulb, cloves unpleeled
1 bouquet garni
10 fennel seeds
10 black peppercorns
1 star anise
1 1/2 cups of Madeira
1 cup of soy sauce
3 quarts water
Madeira Gravy:
4 shallots, chopped
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup of Madeira
12 oz beef stock
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Start by making the beef stock for your gravy. Lightly roast the bones, beef shank and oxtail in the oven for about 30 minutes. Add the onion to a dry pan, cut-side down, over a high heat and leave until very dark brown, almost burnt;
Place the spices in a small muslin bag and add to a large pan with the remaining ingredients (including the roasted meat and bones). Bring to a gentle simmer. Skim of any scum that rises to the surface and cook for 3 hours, skimming every 30 minutes or so. The trick here is to simmer at a bare roll and skim any impurities regularly for a nice clean stock
Without moving the pan, turn off the heat and gently ladle the broth out of the pan through a very fine sieve, taking care not to disturb the base too much. This recipe makes around 2–2.5 quarts of stock so you can reserve or freeze what isn’t needed for this recipe;
To make the Madeira gravy, soften the shallots in 10g of the butter. Add the Madeira and cook until reduced to a glaze;
Add the beef stock and reduce by three quarters until you reach a nice gravy consistency. Whisk in the remaining butter and season to taste;
Next prepare the toast. Heat half the butter in a skillet or frying pan over a medium heat and fry the bread slices on both sides until golden. Arrange the fried bread on a serving platter and set aside;
Season the steaks, then heat the remaining butter in the skillet, still over a medium heat, and cook them for about 3 minutes on each side, until medium-rare. Remove from the pan, loosely cover with foil and allow to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
Clean the skillet and heat it again, this time over a high heat. Season the slices of foie gras and sear for 1 minute on each side until deep golden brown
Place a steak on each bread slice, arrange the foie gras on top and cover with the thinly sliced truffle. Heat the Madeira gravy and pour over to serve.
Serve with Caesar’s Salad, his favorite potato side and finish with a peach dessert.
Sir Verde’s Beverage Suggestions: For aperitifs, Beefeater Gin and Tonic served in highball glasses. Wine? This meal is for Dad. Chateau Lafite Rothschild, any vintage.
Happy Father’s Day!
