Slow Cooked

From the Archives: Pecan Crusted Beef Tenderloin

I'm not cooking Christmas dinner this year, but that doesn't stop me from fondly remembering one of my favorite holiday meals in recent years: a pecan crusted beef tenderloin served with a jalapeño-cranberry chutney, a caramelized onion and brie tart, and roasted cauliflower and brussel sprouts.  And yes, all for just two people.

My friend Sara had first served the tenderloin dish at a dinner party, and I was hooked, so Christmas (of 2005?  Wow, time is really starting to fly...) was the perfect opportunity to try my own version.  Or rather, my version of a recipe I found on-line, which came courtesy of the BEEF! It's What's For Dinner website.

I firmly believe that the secret to most meat dishes is starting with a good cut of meat, and then doing as little possible to interfere with the natural flavors.  The tenderloin I roasted came from Staubitz, my local butcher, and cost around $50.  I don't buy tenderloin often and remember feeling a bit of sticker shock, but when all was said and done, the beef was fantastic.  Scary good, like, "I can't believe I made this, it's so effing good" good.

Another thing I like about roasting meat is that you don't really DO very much; you brown or you season, but that's about it.  Mostly you stick the thing in the oven and let it do all the work, then happily remove the finished product, and carve with a flourish.  This was one of those kinds of dishes, and I highly recommend it to all you carnivores out there.  We paired the tenderloin with a delicious bottle of Spanish red wine that was a gift from my parents - 2002 Finca Sandoval.  Yum.  I might need to revisit this dish again soon; it serves at least eight people, I'd guess, so I'm thinking it's time for another dinner party...

Pecan Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Jalapeño-Cranberry Chutney

2-3 lbs. beef tenderloin roast, trimmed 3 Tbsp. coarse-grain Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp. maple syrup 1 clove garlic, minced 1 shallot, chopped 1 tsp. dried rosemary 1 tsp. dried thyme 1 cup pecans, finely chopped 1 cup fresh cranberries -- Juice of half an orange 1/3 cup sugar 1 jar (7 ounces) roasted red peppers, drained and diced 1 small fresh jalapeño, seeded and diced 3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro -- Zest of half a lime -- Zest of half an orange

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Mix mustard, maple syrup, garlic, shallot, rosemary and thyme. Spread evenly over entire surface of tenderloin. Roll beef in the pecans, pressing firmly to cover tenderloin with nuts. Roast 45-60 minutes on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Remove when meat thermometer inserted in center reads 140ºF for medium-rare, 150ºF for medium. Allow roast to stand for 15 minutes before slicing. While roast is cooking, blend cranberries, juice and sugar in food processor for 30-45 seconds. Transfer to a saute pan and add roasted red peppers, jalapeno, cilantro, lime zest and orange zest. Stir to mix. Allow sauce to stand for at least 30 minutes for flavors to blend. Warm sauce over low heat before serving. Do not boil. Add salt to taste. Carve tenderloin into 1/2-inch thick slices and serve with cranberry-jalapeno sauce.

Prune

Prune is so cute that it seems almost dangerous; it's easy to think that surely the pink t-shirts and mismatched flatware, the tiny tables and cheerful staff are all part of a downtown neighborhood bistro gimmick.  But the constant crowds at Prune all seem to indicate that the food can stand up for itself (especially at brunch, as Prune is known for the wait as much as the fare), so I was anxious to finally eat there.

I ate with a party of nine people, and negotiating a party that size in a space that small can sometimes be tricky, but Prune welcomed us eagerly.  Prune's menu has a sort of an eclectic home-cooking slant to traditional bistro dishes, with some Mediterranean flair as well.  The table started off with several appetizers to share, and the bone marrow and sweetbreads both won raves.  I split an order of three generous bones - roasted and full of rich marrow, served with toasted bread, sea salt and fresh parsley - and was digging with my friends, flipping the bones over and over, scooping out every bit of the yummy goo.  The table also split several of the vegetable sides, and we were in agreement that the roasted yams in brown butter were the favorite, although I personally was a bigger fan of the creamed chestnuts, served with a generous dollop of ricotta. 

I had P.E.I. mussels in a spicy almond-chili broth as my entree; the mussels were plump and sweet and the broth rich and vibrant.  Several of my friends ate the slow-cooked pork shoulder with salsa verde which was tender and tasty, and the whole fish of the day - a grilled branzino stuffed with greens and lemon, and dressed with fennel and herbs - won raves as well. 

The dessert menu is somewhat limited, and we again split a few items among the table; I was most intrigued by the "sugared hay" dish, which turned out to be sweet shredded phyllo dough (imagine shredded  wheat, but with phyllo, sort of) topped with Greek yogurt and squares of candied pumpkin.  I'm not a fan of too-sweet desserts, and this dish could have been a breakfast as much as a post-meal treat, and won points for being something utterly new to me. 

One impressive note: Prune boasts an extensive cocktail menu, surprising for such a small restaurant, but there were a good number of wines by the glass available, many beers, and well over a dozen cocktails - both classic and signature.  I had a glass of Cava and then two glasses of a crisp, refreshing Chardonnay from a new-ish Sonoma winery - Lioco - that I almost never find on a wine list and was more than happy to encounter at Prune.

Dinner and drinks came out to just under $90 per person, including cocktails, appetizers, sides, entrees and tip/tax.   The menu is priced moderately high for the casual neighborhood spot it is, but the foodie crowd that's found a fit on East 1st Street doesn't seem to mind (The Tasting Room is just a few doors east of Prune).  Prune (212.677.6221) is located at 54 East 1st Street and accepts all major credit cards, but doesn't allow cell phones.

Pistachio Cranberry Cookies

I have been eating cookies for most of my meals these past few days, courtesy of a cookie exchange at Book Club.  And the members of my book club don't mess around; there were scotch balls, homemade Almond Joy, caramel nut bars, giant blobs of chocolate full of peanut butter, chocolate covered crystallized ginger, etc etc etc.  My cookies were the most boring by far but they were high on my list of favorites for a few reasons.  One, they have green and red flecks in them, so are seasonal and festive.  Two, they are not overly sweet, meaning I can eat many more of them than the caramel nut bars.  And three, they were super easy to make.

I was inspired by Luisa but stuck to this recipe pretty much to the letter, adjusting only the amount of pistachio and cranberries (I upped both by a small handful) and I threw in some dried strawberries too.  The cookies were good.  I ate about 17 on my own, and they get enough of a salty kick from the pistachios to offer a nice salty/sweet thing, which can almost serve as a palate-cleanser when you are midway through a dozen ooey gooey cookies and candies, I have to say.

Pistachio Cranberry Cookies
LA Times, Feb 2004

Servings: About 3 dozen cookies

• 1 3/4cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup shelled salted pistachios, coarsely chopped
• 1/2cup sun-dried cranberries (or dried cherries or diced dried apricots)

1. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
2. Cream the butter and brown sugar together with a wooden spoon until smooth. Blend in the egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients until well mixed. Stir in the nuts and cranberries.
3. Drop the dough by tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each. Bake the cookies in a 375-degree oven until light golden brown (centers should be soft), about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Paris, in Brief

The single greatest thing I ate in Paris was a pistachio macaroon from a teeny boulangerie around the corner from my hotel that the internet tells me is called Boulangerie Malineau, and may I just say that I adore the internet, because I Googled "rue st paul paris boulangerie" and PRESTO, I found my lovely little bakery, which happened to be next to this precious English-language bookstore called - adorably, because everything on Rue St Paul is adorable - The Red Wheelbarrow.  I love many parts of Paris but have such fondness for the 4e and for its teeny little streets with little shops and cafes.  J'adore.

On my first night in Paris, I walked and walked and walked and walked and then walked some more, and wound up somewhat lost, not very near my hotel at all.  I got on the Metro and found my way back to the St Paul station and - hungry and jetlagged - walked into L'enoteca, which happened to be just down the block from my hotel.  As you all probably know by now, rustic little spots with casual fare and lots of nibbly things and good wine are my favorite type of restaurant, and I more or less stumbled into this one.  It was nearing midnight, so the waiter who greeted me told me that unfortunately the kitchen was closed, but "we do have leftover one thing we can serve you, the lasagna..." and I eagerly accepted and found myself quickly tucked into a corner table with a hearty red blend from Puglia and a browned and bubbling gratin dish of lasagna - lasagna which turned out to be layers and layers of veal, cream sauce and mushrooms, topped with more shaved black truffle than I've ever seen on one dish.  This was the second greatest thing I ate in Paris.

The third greatest thing I ate in Paris is really an assortment of things, and it's somewhat embarrassing to admit just how much chocolate I was able to eat, but I ate an entire 1/4 lb box of truly delicious chocolate from the lovely Maiffret chocolate shop.  My favorite bites were the caramels and the pistachio chocolates, although there was a dark, rich espresso one that was divine.  Oh, and the nougat - I looooove nougat.  And I should also mention that I had one of their pistachio-cerise financiers.  Because I was on vacation and I was in Paris, and really, why not?