Châteaubriand is a large cut of the center-most part of beef tenderloin, grilled or broiled and carved at the table. The cut of meat is non-negotiable, as is a tarragon-infused sauce, most often Béarnaise, and potatoes.
- Pre-set your serving pieces – a platter or cutting board large enough to hold the meat and all the vegetables; carving knife and fork; sauce boat. NOTE: This clever round cutting board is by the Grothouse Lumber Company. The surface is slightly tilted so all the juices collect at the bottom. The raised side does not have a rim so no interference with slicing the meat.
- Make large croutons from nice white bread. Cut the crusts from slices of a good white bread, cut each slice into triangles. Toast in a 250° oven until golden brown. NOTE: Biscuit or cookie cutters up the elegance factor, like this New Orleans souvenir fleur de lis cutter.
- Prepare the vegetables: trim and blanch baby carrots until al dente; rinse in cold water to stop the cooking, set aside at room temp until serving time. Use a peeler to make a stripe around red new potatoes, steam until just done, @10 minutes, set aside to rest at room temp. Slice zucchini into 3” long planks. Steam in the microwave until softened but not quite done. Remove and pat dry. Trim the stems from large mushroom caps, the slice a thin slice from the top to make a neat round flat surface. Press the point of a chef’s knife into the mushroom to make stars. Wash and dry small cherry tomatoes
- Make the Béarnaise Recipe: Whisk together 3 egg yolks, 2 tsp. white wine vinegar and 2 tsp. water. Place in a double boiler (the bowl set over, not in, boiling water). Whisk continuously while adding 1 stick of butter one pat at a time. The mixture will thicken as the butter melts and emulsifies into the egg. When all the butter is incorporated and the sauces has thickened whisk in 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh tarragon. Immediately remove from heat and set the bottom of the bowl into 1” of cold water to stop the cooking. Gently stir as it cools just enough to stop cooking. It’s a sauce, not scrambled eggs.
- Final preparation takes place in both the kitchen and at the grill – having an accomplice helps. AT THE GRILL: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Wipe the beef dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper and lay on the hot grill. Brush the zucchini slices with olive oil and lay out on the grill. Put the small tomatoes on the perimeter of the grill (the coolest part.) Grill the beef for 2 minutes; rotate to make an attractive grid of grill marks, cook for 2 minutes more. Flip and repeat on the other side, for a total of 6-8 minutes. Remove the meat from the grill and cover with foil, let rest for 5-10 minutes. Flip the zucchini and check on the tomoatoes when you remove the meat, they will finish cooking while the meat rests. Remove when done.
IN THE KITCHEN: Melt 4 T. butter in a large sauté pan until it sizzles. Add the steamed potatoes, roll them around gently and cook until lightly browned. In the last 5 minutes of cook the mushroom caps and reheat the carrots in the butter. - TO SERVE: place the meat on your serving platter, top it with a crouton and arrange the remaining croutons around it, ready to soak up the juices. Make pretty piles of the hot vegetables, transfer the béarnaise to a sauce boat and present the platter to your seated guests and bask in their admiration. Carve the meat into ½” slices and serve with a crouton and some vegetables. Pass the béarnaise.
WHO WAS CHATEAUBRIAND? The dish was named for François-René de Châteaubriand, an early 19th century French romantic writer and statesman who fell in and out of favor with Napoleon. His most enduring work is a 42 volume “Memories from Beyond the Grave.” As a young man he toured the then-new United States where he may or may not have met George Washington, and overall wasn’t much impressed. He was a dedicated royalist and Catholic advocate during a time when these ideals weren’t universally popular. In fact these beliefs led to his demise.
This Spectacularly Delicious first appeared on The Daily Basics, which has tons of great culinary and home advice.
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