Chateaubriand with Béarnaise Sauce

Fancy French words for an easy to make, rich tasting and fabulous beef steak recipe.

Pan roast a thick-cut (2″+ and about 2 lbs.) top sirloin steak or beef filet, slice and serve with béarnaise sauce.  That’s all there is to it and here’s how it goes…

1. Create and herb rub of 1-1/2 teaspoons each of dried thyme, paprika, and garlic powder.
2. Salt and pepper the beef, coat with herb rub, and let rest for about 1 hour outside of the refrigerator
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
4. Heat an ovenproof skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and then sear both sides of the steak, about 2 minutes each side.
5. Transfer pan to the oven and roast meat for an additional 10-20 minutes until an instant read thermometer reaches your desired doneness (120 degrees for rare, 130 for medium)
6. Remove steak from oven, loosely cover with foil
7. While the beef rests make your sauce
8. Slice meat thick, diaganally across the grain, plate slices and serve with béarnaise sauce.

Two Classics: Hollandaise Sauce and Béarnaise Sauce

The following recipes come from Julia Child’s Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom. Much of what makes French cooking so French is the sauces. Hollandaise is The Classic; Béarnaise is a variant that adds additional flavor suitable for beef, lamb, or shellfish.

Hollandaise Sauce

• 3 egg yolks
• big pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and hot
• additional salt and pepper to taste

Beat egg yolks with a wire whisk in a stainless-steel saucepan until they are thickened and lemon-colored (about a minute). Whisk in a pinch of salt, lemon juice, and one tablespoon of cold butter.  Place pan on a very low heat and whisk constantly. When the mixture begins to thicken add the second tablespoon of cold butter.

BE CAREFUL, DO NOT LET THE YOLKS COOK! Pull the pan off and on the heat while you whisk just to be safe.

Start beating in the melted butter, a few drops at a time. Add more drops as the previous drops incorporate into the sauce. After half of the melted butter is incorporated you can add the rest of the butter at a quicker pace. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Béarnaise Sauce

Béarnaise Sauce is a variant of the classic Hollendaise Sauce. Two main differences: 1) instead of lemon juice for an acid a reduction of white wine and white wine vinegar is used, and 2) finely chopped shallots and tarragon are added.

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan, boil rapidly to reduce liquid to 2 tablespoons. You may choose to strain the liquid or keep the shallots and tarragon in the reduction. Continue with the Hollandaise Sauce described above except substitute this reduction for the lemon juice and use only 1-1/2 sticks of butter total.

Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin

The new Christmas dinner favorite. Pricey? Yes, but an easy main dish that pleases all.

This recipe is excerpted from Holiday Entertaining from Cook’s Illustrated, 2009.

Prime rib used to be my holiday family dinner treat but since Christmas 2009 this herb-crusted beef tenderloin has become the family favorite. Compared to prime rib it’s easier to make, there is absolutely no waste, it plates well with all of the various side dishes served, and everyone at the table opts for a second slice.

Two hours before roasting coat your trimmed and tied tenderloin with a rub mixture of 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon pepper and 2 teaspoons of sugar. This rub helps create a nice crust layer on the roast.

• 2 slices of white bread, torn and then turned into crumbs by pulsing in a food processor or blender
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
• 2-1/2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 medium garlic cloves. Depending on the freshness and flavor strength of your garlic you may choose to use less.

Mix bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons parsley, 2 teaspoons thyme, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons olive oil.

In a food processor create a pesto by blending 6 tablespoons parsley, 2 tablespoons thyme, 3/4 cup Parmesan, 4 tablespoons oil, and garlic until a smooth paste forms.

Place oven rack in upper third of oven, pre-heat to 400 degrees. Roast tenderloin for 20 minutes and then remove from the oven and cut away strings – don’t worry, your roast will hold its shape. Coat roast with herb pesto and then the bread-crumb topping. Roast until thickest part of roast registers 130 degrees (for medium rare), about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove roast and let rest uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve 1/2-inch thick slices.

Cezanne, an Historic Hotel and a Memorable French Meal

If you thought we were Paris, guess again… Syracuse, New York

Epic vacations earn special places in our hearts and memories.  But the weekend getaway, that drive not too far from home, can earn as special a place, if not for the monumental stature, for the quality of the moment.

At the eastern edge of the Finger Lakes region Syracuse was our weekend destination for an afternoon of fine art, dinner at an authentic French restaurant, and an evening stay at a hotel listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of Historic Hotels of America. The getaway was shaped around a visit to the Everson Museum of Art to see Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection. An extraordinary group of 53 paintings from an overall collection of 260 assembled between 1908 and 1923, the show takes the visitor from Turner’s naturalism to Cezanne’s modern creations including an exceptional representation of Impressionist artworks. As stunning as the art was this show was a statement on art patronage, lifestyle, and a glimpse of history during a most significant period in the modern world.  The Davies sisters of Wales committed their wealth to the support of great art that now reflects back on radically changing times in Europe.

Juxtaposed to these magnificent artworks is the contemporary architecture of the museum itself. Designed by world renowned architect I.M. Pei, the Everson Museum of Art was designed to break tradition of a building-vessel to house art and instead be an urban sculptural object itself; a building designed to be viewed from different angles and perspectives. This being my first visit to the Everson, I drove right by, not realizing the poured concrete structure was in fact the museum. Maybe it was the period in which it was designed (1960’s), or the radical departure from what I expect an art museum to be, or the fact that I’m not a fan of concrete buildings, but I found it to be awkward. The museum deserves a second visit, a visit during the warmer months when I can better appreciate its design from outdoor perspectives.

Turner to Cezanne runs through Jan. 3, 2010. If you visit make time to see the permanent collection of ceramic arts located in the lower level, a truly outstanding collection of historically significant art works.

After the museum we traveled just a few blocks to our hotel, the Jefferson Clinton Hotel. The Jefferson Clinton found new life in 2001 after years of abandonment and is now a beautiful hotel of historic significance. Our room was well appointed, the staff friendly and helpful, and our stay included included a well stocked and served breakfast buffet. The Jefferson Clinton is located on one corner of Syracuse’s Armory Square neighborhood. Armory Square is a first-rate community of shops, restaurants, condominiums, and night spots anchored by The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology (M.O.S.T.), Syracuse’s old armory. Armory Square is the model for revitalizing downtown districts to attract people of all ages and interests.

An afternoon of enjoying French art naturally deserves a French meal. Reservations were made at L’Adour Restaurant, an authentic French restaurant located a few blocks from Armory Square on Montgomery Street. The fact that every employee we interacted with were French bode well for what was to come. The menu was well designed: a sampling of flavors and foods that represented classic selections without being overwhelming. Off the standard menu was a prix fixe menu of three courses, a nice option for a quality meal at a reasonable price. The wine list represented all the significant regions of France with a full range of price points without being overly lengthy making it easy to navigate and find your bottle. We chose to go off-list, bringing along a special bottle to celebrate the weekend: 2001 Chateau Prieure-Lichine, Margeaux.  We made entree selections of beef and lamb both being classically prepared and well executed. Entrees from the grill, including our ribeye, offered a choice of sauce (Bordelaise, Roquefort, Basil cream, Dijon, Peppercorn or Beurre Mae d’Hotel) and side (French fries, steamed vegetables, potatoes au gratin or spinach and mushroom gratin).  The lamb, a roasted rack, was served over a bed of great northern beans, a dish of simple pleasure and subtle flavor. With our meal we also chose a mushroom flan appetizer, salad and a butternut squash soup along with a a shared dessert: profiteroles with ice cream and Belgian dark chocolate sauce. The mushroom flan appetizer was the surprise of the meal, you can bet I’ll be looking for a recipe to share with you. If I had one complaint it would be that the front end was a bit out of sync with the kitchen. At times I felt a little rushed and our entrees were not as hot as I would have liked. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, there was a large party of 15-20 guests seated near us and the staff may have not been prepared to manage this group along with the rest of the house.

It’s all too easy to overlook what’s in your backyard when planning the perfect getaway. In my 20 years of living in the Finger Lakes, Syracuse never landed on my radar as a destination other than a trip to the Carrier Dome for a football game or rock concert. In fact the city offers a multitude of culture, dining, and entertainment for all tastes. Our visit was a success and we will be planning a trip again, next time when the temperature is a little more accommodating for walking tours of its historic buildings and other outdoor spots that the city has to offer.

I went to a picnic and a race broke out

Last Sunday my wife and I packed a picnic lunch to take to a beautiful park setting high in the hills above Seneca Lake. We packed a variety of cheeses (thank you Wegmans) salami, red wine-marinated steak sandwiches, fruit salad, etc. and of course, a nice bottle of Chardonnay. The sun was shining bright, the breezes blowing, but a little chilly for mid-July. 

Racing action during the 2009 Glen Nationals, Watkins Glen International.

By the sounds of it you might think we were at any one of a number of state parks in the Finger Lakes. But no… we were at Watkins Glen International race track to watch the Glen Nationals. Up on top of a high hill in Schuyler County sits a 3.4 mile road racing course – one of the most famous in America, and noted as a must-race location throughout the world of motorsports. This was my wife’s first time to “The Glen” so I picked this event to warm her up to the track. The Glen Nationals is a perfect race to be introduced to The Glen: smaller crowds, accessible drivers, easy hikes to a spectator vantage points, a wide variety of cars and classes, and seven different races throughout the day so you’ll never bore of any one.

So why is this a notable food experience? It’s the fun of combining two disparate activities, in this case a Euro-style lawn picnic with motorsports, to create an event more memorable than the individual. Summertime is too short, so get out, pack your favorite foods, and enjoy your hometown’s outdoor events with a fine meal in tow.