Beef Filet with Chocolate Gravy

The first main dish of my Christmas dinner, gently roasted beef filet with chocolate gravy, potato balls and tender vegetables can finally be presented. I’d say it is a deluxe Christmas dish and it is as good as its word. The meat is cooked at low temperatures which makes it incredibly tender, juicy and soft. It goes along with some chocolaty gravy, tender vegetables and potato balls. The latter consist of mashed potatoes, which are formed into balls, coated with breadcrumbs and fried.

To begin with, I’d like to say a few works about a technique called low-temperature cooking. It helps the meat to get extremely delicate, tender and juicy. The reason for it can be found in the fact that the meat is cooked at a temperature of about 80°-120°C (180°-250°F) until it reaches a certain core temperature. This can take up to a few hours, particularly if you have a bigger chunk of meat. Therefore, not the cooking time decides when the meat is taken out of the oven but the temperature right in the middle of the chunk of meat. This temperature can only be determined by use of a meat thermometer. If you don’t have one, I can assure you that the investment is worth its price.

So, what happens to the meat that it becomes so juicy and tender in the end? At a temperature of about 50°C (122°F) the protein in the meat begins to coagulate which reduces the ability to bond the water. The higher the temperature in the oven and the hotter the meat gets the more water is lost and the tougher it gets. However, cooking with low temperature takes much time, because your meat takes longer to get cooked than with traditional techniques. So it is not the right method for quick recipes, but I can assure you that the result will delight everyone.

Now, let me give you some more advice before we pass on to the actual recipe. First, take the meat out of the fridge about 1-2 hours before you start cooking as the meat should come to room temperature. This is a good tip for most meat cooking techniques, by the way! Secondly, use a pan and some oil to sear the meat on all sides before you put it into the oven. This creates the delicious roasting flavor which adds the final touch to your dish and it also kills off any bacteria that might be on the surface of your meat. But please transfer the meat to another ovenproof roasting tin and don’t use the pan for the slow cooking as it would be much too hot! If you prefer, you can also sear the meat after the cooking in the oven or roast it under the grill. And finally, not all kinds of meat are suitable for being cooked at low temperature. This technique is perfect for higher-priced meat like roastbeef, beef filet, pork filet, etc. and not really suitable for lower-priced meat. And the meat must be very fresh (never use old meat for cooking!)

Well now, let’s move on to my recipe now.

Beef Filet with Chocolate Gravy

Serves 4
For the beef filet:
2 lb (1 kg) beef filet, cut from the middle (3 inches/6-7 cm thick)
2 tablespoons thyme
salt, pepper
2 tablespoons oil

For the potato balls:
1 1/3 lb (600 g) floury potatoes
½ cup (50 g) almonds, peeled and ground
1 egg yolk
salt
3 tablespoons flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup (150 g) dry breadcrumbs
oil for frying

for the vegetables:
1 lb (400 g) Brussel sprouts
1/3 lb (150 g) baby carrots
1/3 lb (150 g) snap peas
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sunflower oil

for the chocolate gravy:
1 ½ cups (150 ml) veal or beef stock
2 ounces (50 g) dark chocolate
½ tablespoon cold butter

Preheat the oven to 85°C (185°F).

Allow the beef filet to come to room temperature before you start preparing it (take out of the fridge approximately 1-2 hours ahead). Season the beef well with salt, pepper and thyme and rub everything into the meat. Heat two tablespoons of oil and sear the filet on all sides, for about 5 minutes altogether. Transfer the meat into an ovenproof dish and pour the remaining oil from the pan over the meat. Cover the dish with some foil and put it into the oven for about 2 – 2 ½ hours. The beef is done when it has a core temperature of about 58-60° C (136-140°F). You determine the core temperature by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.

For the potato balls, cook the potatoes in water until they are tender and soft. Drain the potatoes, peel them and allow to cool. Mash the potatoes or put them through a potato ricer. Mix in the egg yolk, salt and the ground almonds. Put the 3 tablespoons of flour into a bowl. Combine the egg and 2 tablespoons of milk in another and put the breadcrumbs into a third bowl. Form little balls with the mashed potatoes, coat them with flour, then with the egg-milk mixture and finally with the breadcrumbs. Heat oil for frying in a medium-sized pan (about 2 inches / 5 cm deep) and fry the potato balls until golden brown. Remove from the oil onto some kitchen towel to get rid of any excess fat.

For the vegetables, clean the Brussel sprouts by removing the outer leaves. Clean the baby carrots and snap peas. Bring water to the boil and cook the carrots and the Brussel sprouts until tender. Add the snap peas for the final 3 minutes. Drain the vegetables and transfer them back into the pot. Put a tablespoon of butter and a dash of sunflower oil on them. Stir carefully until the butter and the oil have coated the vegetables.

For the chocolate gravy bring the veal or beef stock to the boil and allow to reduce by about half. Remove from the heat. Break the chocolate into smaller pieces and add them one at a time, stirring constantly, until all the chocolate has melted. Stir in the cold butter.

Cut the beef filet into thin slices and serve with the chocolate gravy, potato balls and vegetables.

My Christmas Dinner:

Chestnut-Pear Soup

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Beef-Filet with Chocolate Gravy

or

Turkey Breast with Ginger and Vanilla

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Chocolate-Gingerbread Mousse with Orange Sauce

And finally, here is the recipe for printing: