2022 Vuelta - Stage 9: Villaviciosa to Les Praeres Nava.
As the time of this posting, I am traveling somewhere between Truro, Massachusetts and my home in Northern Virginia. Simultaneously, the riders are cycling somewhere in the Asturias region before a rest day on Monday. On that rest day, they will be traveling from NW Spain to SW Spain and the cuisine of my culinary ridealong will shift as well. But, for today, I present you with this Asturian-style recipe. Unfortunately, being in a remote, coastal, non-metropolitan area, I had to adjust some ingredients for this recipe. Fortunately though, the difference between beef and veal tenderloin, as well as cabrales and bleu cheese, is practically unnoticeable. Much to my pleasure and surprise, though, the substitution of water chestnuts (for normal chestnuts) worked just fine in this dish preparation. The mixed fruits and cabrales sauce was phenomenal with this dish. The plates themselves were a birthday gift from my in-laws. I have linked the source of the unique plates in my Instagram post. I hope you all have a fantastic and relaxing Sunday.
Asturian Beef Tenderloin with Fruits & Cheese Sauce
adapted from Saveur
½ lb crumbled bleu cheese
1 cup brandy
1.25 cups heavy cream
1 tbsp polenta-style cornmeal
1 cup hard dry cider
2 tbsp butter
Olive oil
2 Golden Delicious apples, cored and diced
½ cup apricots, diced
½ cup raisins
Small can of water chestnuts, drained
1.5 lbs beef tenderloin
Add the cheese to a sauté pan/skillet over medium-high heat until melted, stirring occasionally. Pour in the brandy and cook off the alcohol, simmering for about 10 mins.
Then, add the cream, seasoning with salt and pepper, and lower the heat to maintain a light simmer.
Whisk together the cornmeal and cider and add to the cream sauce. Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes. Pour the mixture, through a fine-mesh sieve, into a small sauce pot, pressing through the solids. Cover and keep warm.
While the sauce reduces, prepare the fruits. Melt the butter, with 2 tbsp of olive oil, in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add in the apples with a pinch of salt. Sauté until just beginning to soften, then add in the apricots, raisins, and water chestnuts. Cook for about a minute. Cover the pot and set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet. Meanwhile, liberally season the meat with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the beef to the skillet and cook 2-3 minutes per side.
To plate, place the meat in the center of a serving dish. Spoon some fruit over the meat. Whisk and spoon some cheese sauce around the plate in a circular fashion. Garnish with freshly minced herbs.
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Copyright 2022, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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