Beef Paupiettes with Tomatoes & Capers
Yield
4
RECIPE Ingredients
- 2 pounds center-cut Grass-Fed Beef Tenderloin, cut into 8 slices, approximately 1/4 inch thick
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces ventrèche, diced
- 1 tablespoon mashed garlic, plus 4 garlic cloves, halved
- 1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped celery leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, broken into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, minced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- Bouquet garni of 2 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, 2 thyme sprigs, 1 bay leaf, 1 celery rib stuck with 2 cloves, and orange zest; all wrapped in cheesecloth
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups meat or poultry stock, heated
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon each chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and thyme, minced garlic and grated orange zest, for garnish
Recipe notes
Paula Wolfert's recipe for stuffed beef with tomatoes and capers makes a rich and fragrant meal with bright, balanced flavors. She recommends cooking it in a 12-inch, straight-sided clay pot.
RECIPE Preparation
- Lay the slices of beef out on a work surface and pound gently to flatten slightly. Season with salt & pepper. In a mixing bowl, combine the ventrèche, mashed garlic, parsley, celery, nutmeg, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix well. Divide the stuffing evenly among the beef slices. Roll each slice up over the filling at the wider end, fold in the sides, and secure with kitchen twine.
- Place the dried porcini in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup of hot water. Let stand 30 minutes to soften. Remove the mushrooms from the water, squeezing to release any remaining liquid back into the bowl. Reserve the liquid. Chop the mushrooms, set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in the clay pot set over medium-low heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the meat rolls and sauté slowly, turning, until browned all over, about 20 minutes. Add the white wine, bouquet garni, garlic halves, tomato paste, porcini mushrooms, reserved mushroom soaking liquid, and stock. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Cover with a sheet of parchment and a lid. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 2 hours, turning the beef rolls once, after an hour. Transfer the rolls to a side dish and cover with foil. Strain the cooking juices, pressing down on all of the vegetables and any bits of ventrèche that may have fallen out. Let the beef rolls and sauce cool seperately; then cover and refrigerate. (The recipe can be made up to this point a day in advance.)
- About 1 1/2 hours before serving, completely degrease the sauce. Cut away the strings from the beef rolls. Return the rolls and sauce to the clay pot. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 1 hour, turning the beef rolls in the sauce from time to time. Stir in the vinegar and capers and simmer for a few minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with the chopped parsley, thyme, garlic and orange zest. Serve at once.
