Beef Tenderloin Roasted in an Herb-Infused Salt Crust

"otherwise known as: "Rôti de Filet de Boeuf en Croûte de Sel aux Herbes" from a french cookbook - here for safe keeping Looks like a lot of steps but it really isn't very hard."
 
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Ready In:
2hrs 10mins
Ingredients:
13
Serves:
6-8
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ingredients

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directions

  • At least 3 1/2 hours before serving, prepare the salt crust in the bowl.
  • of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the salt and.
  • herbs and mix to blend,add the egg whites and 2/3 cup water, and mix.
  • until thoroughly blended, add 2 cups of the flour, a little at a time, and.
  • knead until the mixture forms a firm, homogeneous dough, 2 to 3 minutes (You may not need all of the flour) The dough should be firm, not too.
  • moist or sticky, or the beef will steam, not roast- if necessary, knead in additional flour or water for a firm dough, Cover with plastic wrap and.
  • let rest at room temperature for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
  • (This resting period will make the dough less sticky and easier to roll out.).
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Prepare the beef: Pat the meat dry with paper towels (Do not salt the.
  • meat at this point, or flavorful juices will be drawn from the meat and it.
  • will not brown evenly) in a large skillet, combine the butter and oil over moderately high heat, when hot, add the beef and sear well on all sides.
  • 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place a salad plate upside down on a large platter,.
  • transfer the seared beef to rest on the salad plate, placing it at an angle.
  • this will allow air to circulate evenly around the beef as it continues to.
  • cook while resting, making for meat that is evenly cooked and tender.
  • let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to form a.
  • 10- x 15-inch rectangle, or one large enough to easily enclose the beef.
  • without stretching the dough.
  • In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk and 1/2 teaspoon water to make.
  • a glaze. Set aside.
  • Sprinkle the beef with the thyme. Completely wrap the beef in the salt crust, pressing all the seams together. Be sure that all the seams are well sealed.) Wrap the beef just before roasting. If you wrap it in advance,.
  • the meat and the salt crust will turn soggy.) Transfer the wrapped beef.
  • to a baking sheet. With a brush, coat the entire surface of the crust.
  • with the glaze. Sprinkle the crust with the sea salt.
  • Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and roast for 15 minutes per pound for rare meat (or until the interior registers 125 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer). For medium rare, roast an additional.
  • 3 to 4 minutes per pound. The crust should be a light, golden brown. Let.
  • the beef rest in the crust on the baking sheet at room temperature for 1.
  • hour before serving. (The beef will remain warm.).
  • To serve, slice off the crust at one end, remove the beef, and discard.
  • the crust. Season the beef with pepper. Cut on the diagonal into thick.
  • slices and arrange on a warmed serving platter. Serve immediately.
  • Testing for Doneness.
  • There are many ways to test meat for doneness. For beef, insert an instant-.
  • reading meat thermometer into the center of the meat, away from the bones,.and leave it there for 30 seconds. Remove the thermometer to check the interior temperature of the meat: 140 degrees F for rare, 150 degrees F for medium-rare,160 degrees F for medium, 170 degrees F for well done. If you do not have a meat thermometer, do as many chefs do: Place a metal skewer into the thickest part.of the meat and wait 30 seconds. Remove the skewer and touch it to your bottom.lip. If the skewer is cold, the meat is underdone; if the skewer is warm, the meat.is rare; if the skewer is hot, the meat is well done.

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Reviews

  1. Around my house, this is known as THE Beef. I have dreams about this beef. You may think you've had great beef before, but until you've had this you have not had the greatest beef you will ever eat. I am lucky in that a local grocery store has a sale a few times a year on Australian free range, grass fed whole beef tenderloin for half what you would expect to pay for such a cut of meat. I cut the whole tenderloin into two 2 lb. roasts and the balance from the skinniest end (a whole tenderloin is usually around 5 lbs.) into steaks. I wrap the roasts in plastic wrap, then foil, and then place in a Ziplock bag - my usual "cheap meat" just goes straight into the Ziplock - to freeze for whatever special occasion deserves THE Beef. First cooking tip: line your baking sheet with foil because that crust will stick to your pan and soaking it off will take forever! Second tip: I use an electronic meat thermometer that you stick in the meat before it goes in the oven (the probe is on a long heat proof cord) and has an alarm when the meat reaches the proper temperature - but make sure you seal the crust around the thermometer probe very well. Third tip: be very exact about how long the meat rests in the crust - if you leave it in too long it will keep cooking and not be rare; even a few minutes too long can overcook your roast! Yes, it's a job to cook this roast - but it is so very worth the work! Enjoy.
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Hello fellow cooks-I am on OBGYN doctor and I am new to this website. . I love RecipeZaar since there are so many, easy, delicious, tested recipes. Between myself and my boyfriend, we have 5 children so there is always someone hungry-the family is so happy about the new, freshly cooked foods that have been gracing our table as of late. Gardening- here in south florida we have lots of tropical fruit trees - is another hobby that I enjoy. We love scuba diving too. Recently, I did a tandem parachute jump.
 
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