Warm Filet with Sesame Mayonnaise
Submitted by ivy r m
Warm poached beef filet with sesame mayonnaise, a star-anise and soy-reduced glaze whisked into mayo with Dijon mustard. A restaurant-style dinner party plate with watercress, chives, and coarse salt.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsPoaching a beef filet in water sounds wrong until you try it. The gentle heat cooks the meat to a rosy, even medium from edge to edge with none of the charred exterior that pan-searing produces. What you get is a silky-tender slice of beef that acts as the perfect canvas for a sesame-spiked mayonnaise.
The mayonnaise is the heart of this dish. A reduced glaze of soy sauce, star anise, garlic, brown sugar, and rice vinegar gets cooked down to a quarter cup of intensely flavored liquid. That liquid then whisks into mayonnaise with Dijon mustard and toasted sesame oil, creating a creamy sauce with layered Asian depth that no store-bought sauce can match.
Fifteen to eighteen minutes in boiling water followed by a fifteen-minute rest at room temperature is the precise timing for a two-pound tenderloin. Any longer in the water and you go past medium into dry territory.
The slicing technique is non-negotiable: first cut vertically WITH the grain into half-inch slices, then cut each slice across the grain into short strips. This double-cut creates tender, forkable pieces that never feel chewy no matter how long you cook the meat.
Chef Tips
- Use beef tenderloin, not a tougher cut; poaching is a gentle method that will not tenderize a tough piece, but it spotlights a tender one
- Strain the star anise out after reducing; whole pods in the mayonnaise texture would be unpleasant
- Chill the mayonnaise for an hour before serving if you can; the flavors deepen and the sauce firms up for spreading
- Rest the beef at room temperature (not the fridge) so the juices redistribute and the meat stays warm for slicing
Variations
- Substitute five-spice powder for star anise if pods are not on hand, as the recipe suggests
- Add a thin sliver of pickled ginger alongside the watercress for a brighter bite
- Serve with a side of jasmine rice or chilled soba noodles to round out the plate
Ingredients
Directions
Place star anise, soy sauce, garlic, sugar and rice vinegar in a small skillet.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for a minute or until only ¼ cup remains.
Strain out star anise and reserve. If you are using five spice powder instead of star anise, add it to the liquid now.
Let it cool while you boil the beef.
Bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Add beef and boil for 15 to 18 minutes.
Remove the beef from water and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes while you finish mayonnaise.
Mix cooled reduced star anise liquid with mustard and mayonnaise.
Add sesame oil to taste, ½ teaspoon salt and crushed red pepper.
Thin mayonnaise with just a teaspoonful of water to make it spreadable.
When the beef is cool, slice it vertically, with the grain, into ½-inch wide slices.
Then slice the long slices, across the grain into 3-inch long by ½-inch wide strips.
Spread some mayonnaise on a dinner plate.
Center a clump of watercress in the center of your plate.
Surround watercress with a wreath of beef slices and sprinkle meat with coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper and chives.
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