Boeuf En Croute Food

BOEUF EN CROUTE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Sear the filets until well-browned on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the filets from the skillet, and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Filets must be cold.
• In the same skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, and cook and stir the mushrooms, shallot, and garlic until the shallots are tender and translucent and the mushrooms have given off their juice, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of red wine, scraping and dissolving any browned flavor bits from the pan. Transfer the mushroom mix into a bowl, and chill in refrigerator for about 45 minutes.
• Place 2 pieces of puff pastry on a work surface, and top each with a chilled filet. Spread half the mushroom mixture in a neat layer on top of of each filet, and top each with a piece of puff pastry. Fold and pinch the edges of the pastry together, sealing in the contents, and trim to make a tidy package. Cut a small slit into the top of each package.
• Pour 1 1/2 cups of red wine into a saucepan over medium heat, and simmer until the wine is reduce by half, about 15 minutes. Season wine sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, whisk egg into milk in a bowl, and brush the pasty packages with the egg mixture for a browner crust, if desired. Return the bundles to the refrigerator to keep cold.
• Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the puff pastry bundles onto the prepared baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven until the pastry is golden brown and crisp and the filets are the desired degree of doneness (for medium-rare, about 15 minutes; an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 130 degrees F (54 degrees C)). Serve each filet in the pastry shell with spoonfuls of wine sauce on top.

BOEUF EN CROUTE OR BEEF WELLINGTON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper; heat half the oil and butter in a pan and brown beef on all sides. Place in roasting pan, dot with remaining butter and roast for 10 minutes -- longer if you want it more well done.
• Remove and let stand until cooled. Remove string.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Place paté in a bowl and beat until smooth.
• Roll out puff pastry 1/2 inch thick, large enough to completely envelop the roast.
• Spread paté over top and sides of filet. Place filet, paté side down on pastry. Spread remaining paté on the top of the filet.
• Brush one side of the pastry with egg. Fold unbrushed over meat; fold together and press.
• Brush entire pastry with egg and bake for 40 minutes -- increasing by 5 minutes for more well done.

BOEUF EN CROUTE

Steps:

• Season the beef with salt, and pepper. Melt a tablespoon of butter with a drizzle of the olive oil in a saute pan until hot, then sear the beef on all sides. Remove from the pan to a board, and let cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
• In the same pan as the beef, prepare the mushroom duxelles: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and fry the shallots until translucent. Add the mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf, and cook until very tender. Pour over the Madeira, and bring to a boil, and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the creme fraiche and cook down to a very thick paste. Season the mixture with salt, and pepper. Stir through the chopped parsley.
• Roll out one block of pastry to a rectangle large enough to fit the meat with a roomy border. Place on a baking sheet. Remove the fillet from the refrigerator, and unwrap. Spoon the mushroom mixture into the center of the pastry and set the meat on top. Roll out the second sheet to fit over the whole fillet generously. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and 1 teaspoon water. Brush the margins of the bottom pastry with egg wash, then drape the second sheet over, pressing to seal well. Trim the edge to a 1-inch border. Crimp the edges with your fingers. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Brush the whole surface of the pastry with egg wash and make two slits in the top with a knife to allow steam to escape. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F, and continue to bake 20 minutes, depending on how well you like your meat done. Remove from the oven and let stand about 10 minutes before serving in slices.

FILET DE BOEUF EN CROUTE (BEEF WELLINGTON)

Steps:

• A day ahead, make the pastry. Place flour into a food processor. Cut the butter into tablespoon-size pieces and drop one by one into the flour to coat. Pulse about 5 times until butter is finely chopped. Combine the eggs, oil, 1 tablespoon water and the salt and blend with a fork. With the food processor running, pour the egg mixture in and process until dough starts to form. Stop and scrape the sides and bottom. Process just until the dough forms shiny, damp clumps, adding about 1 tablespoon more water if necessary. Turn out onto a work surface and knead lightly to make a smooth ball. Flatten into a 1 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a food-storage bag. Refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, let the dough set at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sprinkle the fillet with salt and pepper. Spread the ground sausage on top, sprinkle with the truffle pieces (if using) and pat them into the sausage.
• Roll out pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Place the fillet, sausage side down, almost in the center of the dough. Beat 1 egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water. Fold up one long side of the pastry so that it almost covers the bottom of the fillet. Brush 1 1/2 inch of the long edge with some egg-yolk mixture. Trim the other long edge so that it just reaches over the brushed portion, and fold it up. Press lightly to seal. Flip the pastry-wrapped fillet. Seal the ends, moistening them with yolk mixture so they stick together.
• Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush pastry twice with the remaining egg-yolk mixture. Cut several slits in the top for air vents. Refrigerate while preheating the oven.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake fillet until the internal temperature registers 135 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 35 minutes for medium-rare. If the pastry browns too quickly, cover loosely with a piece of parchment paper.
• Let fillet cool for 15 minutes before cutting it into thick slices. Serve warm.

BEEF EN CROûTE WITH CORIANDER WALNUT FILLING

Steps:

• Trim tenderloin if necessary and pat dry. Halve tenderloin crosswise and season with salt and pepper. In a large heavy skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until just smoking and brown beef, 1 piece at a time, on all sides, about 2 minutes total for each piece of beef, transferring to a platter.
• Make an egg wash by lightly beating egg with water. On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough into a 19- by 15-inch rectangle (slightly less than 1/4 inch thick). Cut a 1-inch strip of dough from a shorter end (leaving an 18- by 15-inch rectangle) and reserve strip. Arrange rectangle lengthwise on a baking sheet or tray (about 17 1/2 by 12 1/2 inches), letting excess hang over. Spread one third filling lengthwise down middle of rectangle, forming a 16- by 2-inch strip. Arrange beef pieces end to end lengthwise on filling and spread remaining filling on top of beef. Brush edges of dough with some egg wash. Fold up long sides of dough to enclose beef completely and seal edge. Fold ends of dough over wrapped beef and seal edges. Invert a large baking sheet onto wrapped beef and invert beef onto sheet so that pastry is seam side down. Brush crust evenly with some egg wash. Cut out holly leaves and berries from reserved pastry strip and arrange on crust, gently pressing to make them adhere. Brush decorations with some egg wash and with a sharp knife make small steam vents every 3 inches on top of crust. Chill beef en croûte, loosely covered, at least 1 hour and up to 6.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Bake beef en croûte in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and a thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into center of beef registers 115°F. Let beef stand on sheet on a rack 25 minutes. Beef will continue to cook as it stands, reaching 125°F. (medium-rare).

FILET DE BOEUF EN CROUTE

Steps:

• Trim any fat from the steaks, sprinkle with pepper, spread tops of each with 1 Tbl butter.
• In shallow roasting pan, bake in pre-heated oven, buttered side up, at 425º for 10 minutes.
• Place in fridge til cold.
• Roll out puff pastry a little and cut in half.
• Spread steaks with garlic, top with cheese.
• Place cheese side down onto center of pastry squares, fold pastry over, moisten edges and seal well.
• Place seam-side down onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Prick top with a fork, cover with plastic wrap, and re-chill for 1 hour.
• Beat egg with oil, and brush pastry with it.
• Bake in center of pre-heated 425º oven for 25 minutes for med-rare.
• Serve with horseradish sauce if desired.
• Serves 2.