Portuguese Style Beef Tenderloin Food

PORTUGUESE CARNE ASSADA

Steps:

• In a large nonreactive bowl, combine the garlic, wine, tomato paste, oregano, bay leaves, both types of paprika, the pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the beef, turn to coat, cover, and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or, preferably, overnight, turning the beef several times.
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and crank the heat to 325°F (163°C).
• Remove the bowl from the fridge and transfer the beef and garlic cloves to a plate, reserving the marinade. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season well with salt and pepper.
• In an ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the oil. When hot, sear the beef until nicely browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to the plate. Do not wipe out the Dutch oven.
• Reduce the heat to medium. If the pot is dry, drizzle in a little more oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes more.
• Pour the reserved marinade and water into the pot and bring to a boil. Nestle in the beef, cover tightly, and put it in the oven to braise, turning the meat and basting it every 20 minutes or so, until almost falling apart tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Add the chouriço, potatoes, and carrots to the Dutch oven and continue to braise the meat, covered, for 30 minutes more.
• Transfer the beef to a bowl, ladle some of the cooking liquid over the meat, and cover with foil to keep warm. Bump up the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C), slide the pot back into the oven, and roast the vegetables and sausage in the remaining cooking liquid, uncovered, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife, 15 to 30 minutes more.
• Transfer the vegetables and sausage to the bowl with the meat and skim any fat from the sauce in the pot. If the sauce seems too liquidy to form a sauce, place it over medium heat and simmer it until it's reduced to the desired consistency. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
• To serve, slice the chouriço on the diagonal into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces. Center the beef on a platter, remove the string, and arrange the sausage and vegetables around the roast. Ladle a bit of the sauce on top, sprinkle with parsley, and pass the rest of the sauce on the side.

LOMO AL TRAPO

Steps:

• Let the tenderloin stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.
• Prepare a charcoal grill for medium-high heat.
• Put the wine in a medium bowl. Soak a large clean cotton towel in the wine until completely soaked. Wring out the towel until it is damp but not dripping. Lay the towel out flat on a work surface with a long side facing you. Sprinkle the salt on the towel to make a 16-by-12-inch rectangle that is about 1/4 inch thick. Scatter the red pepper flakes, black pepper and oregano sprigs on the salt.
• Position the tenderloin on the bottom center of the salt rectangle, so there is about a 1-inch border of salt on the bottom edge. Roll up the tenderloin in the towel, folding in the sides and making sure the meat is covered in salt on all sides. Tie the towel tightly with kitchen twine at 1- to 2-inch intervals.
• Place the wrapped tenderloin directly on the coals for 10 minutes, then flip and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove to a metal baking sheet and let rest for 5 minutes, then cut the tenderloin out of the towel and break away the salt crust. Transfer to a cutting board. Let rest for another 10 minutes before slicing.

BEEFS PORTUGUESE STYLE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine red wine, water, garlic, chile paste, white pepper and salt. Add beef, and turn to coat evenly.
• In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, fry 3 steaks for 2 minutes on each side; Set steaks aside, and drain liquids into the red wine mixture. Repeat with remaining beef.
• Pour oil into skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Fry steaks for a second time, 2 minutes on each side. Drain oil, and return all steaks and marinade to the pan. Allow to boil for 2 minutes.

BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH MUSHROOMS AND ESPAGNOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Remove any strings from beef if tied, then pat beef dry and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until just smoking, then sear beef 1 piece at a time, turning with tongs, until well browned, about 5 minutes each. (If beef tenderloin pieces are too long to fit into skillet, halve each crosswise, then brown 2 pieces at a time.) Transfer beef to an 18- by 12-inch flameproof roasting pan, reserving skillet.
• Roast beef in oven until thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into center of each piece registers 120°F, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer beef to a cutting board, reserving roasting pan, and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 25 minutes. (Beef will continue to cook as it stands, reaching 130°F for medium-rare.)
• While beef roasts, heat butter in skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then reduce heat to moderate and cook mushrooms, stirring, until liquid they give off is evaporated and mushrooms are pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• While beef stands, straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add Sherry and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Add Sherry mixture and espagnole sauce to mushrooms and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until warm. Cover skillet and remove from heat.
• Cut off and discard strings from beef and cut meat crosswise into 10 or 20 slices. Pour any juices on cutting board into sauce and heat over moderate heat, stirring, until hot.
• Serve beef with sauce.

ROAST BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH PORT SAUCE

Steps:

• For beef:
• Sprinkle entire surface of beef tenderloin with coarse kosher salt. Place beef on rack set over large rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered at least 24 hours and up to 36 hours.
• For sauce:
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallots; sauté until soft, 3 minutes. Add Cognac, rosemary, and 1 teaspoon cracked pepper and cook until liquid evaporates, 1 minute. Add Port; bring to simmer. Add all of beef stock. Boil until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes. Strain into medium saucepan, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids in strainer. DO AHEAD: Can be made 24 to 36 hours ahead. Cool slightly, then cover and chill.
• For roasting:
• Let beef stand at room temperature 1 hour before roasting. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Rub beef all over with oil; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cracked peppercorns, pressing to adhere. Return beef to rack on baking sheet and roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 125°F for medium-rare (135°F to 140°F in thinnest part), about 30 minutes. Remove roast from oven and let rest 15 minutes.
• Bring sauce to boil; whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cut off string from roast. Cut roast crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices; arrange on platter. Serve with sauce.
• WHAT TO DRINK:
• Chateau Coufran 2003 (France, $23). The leathery, earthy notes and subtle fruit in this medium-bodied Bordeaux are perfect for the tenderloin.

TENDER PORTUGUESE STEAK

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine vinegar and garlic. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Pat steaks dry and then sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Rub vinegar mixture into steaks. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes (or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one hour).
• In a skillet over medium heat melt butter with oil.
• Add steaks and cook to desired doneness (5-10 minutes per side). Transfer steaks to plates and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Pour off fat from skillet.
• Put skillet on high heat and stir in wine, scraping up browned bits. Boil for 3 minutes or unti it is syrupy.
• Whisk in tomato paste. Remove from heat.
• Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter (1 piece at a time), incorporating in sauce.
• Stir in prosciutto and parsley.
• Spoon sauce over steaks.

PORTUGUESE MARINATED BEEF (CACIOLA)

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients in a plastic freezer bag and marinate overnight.
• Cook, over low heat, in a large skillet, Dutch oven, or crock pot until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours or 5 hours, on low, for crock pot.
• Shred meat and serve on buns, or leave pieces whole and serve with boiled potatoes and a vegetable.