THE TELLER'S CATERING INCIDENT: Backstage with Chef Todd Meyer and The String Cheese Incident
Garlic Studded Whole Beef Tenderloin with Balsamic Baste and Maytag Blue Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 5 to 6-pound whole beef tenderloin
- 8 peeled garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- salt & black pepper, to taste
Ingredients: Marinade
- 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Ingredients: Balsamic Baste
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
Remove the fat and silver skin from the tenderloin and peel the side muscle off. Cut slits in the tenderloin about 1 1/2-inches apart and insert a garlic sliver into each hole. Season the tenderloin with salt and pepper and place it in a large baking dish.
Marinade: In a medium bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar and the chopped garlic. Whisk in the olive oil. Pour the marinade over the tenderloin. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours, turning the meat two or three times.
Balsamic Baste: Heat 1 cup of balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the vinegar is reduced by two-thirds and becomes syrupy.
To grill the tenderloin, place it on a gas grill over high heat or over hot charcoals. Brown on all sides (about 1 minute per side). Brush the tenderloin with the balsamic baste and grill, covered, over indirect heat. Turn the tenderloin frequently, basting occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat reaches 125 to 130 degrees for rare to medium rare, or 135 to 140 degrees for medium. Place the tenderloin on a platter and tent with aluminum foil. Let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving. Slice and serve the tenderloin with Maytag Blue Cheese Sauce (recipe follows). Serves 6.
Maytag Blue Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped shallot
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces crumbled Maytag blue cheese, room temperature
- salt & white pepper, to taste
In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped shallot and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the white wine, rosemary and thyme. Raise the heat to medium-high and reduce the wine by half. Add the cream and again reduce by half, or until the mixture is slightly thickened. Off heat, stir in the blue cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Ravioli with Bean and Garlic PurŽe and Smoked Eggplant, Tomato and Basil Sauce Bean and Garlic Purée
Ingredients
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans
- 1/2 cup roasted whole garlic cloves*
- 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- salt, to taste
- white pepper, to taste
Ingredients: Vegan Pasta Dough
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup semolina flour
- 4 ounces silken tofu, chilled
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
Ingredients: Smoked Eggplant, Tomato and Basil Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups chopped fresh tomato
- 1 medium eggplant, smoked*
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- salt & black pepper, to taste
- fresh basil sprigs, for garnish
Bean and Garlic Pur&eactue;e: Pour the vegetable broth into a saucepan. Add the beans and roasted garlic cloves. Simmer over medium heat until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper and parsley. PurŽe the mixture in a food processor or blender, adding the olive oil slowly until completely purŽed and airy. Season with salt and white pepper. Spoon the purŽe into a pastry bag and set aside.
Vegan Pasta Dough: Combine the flour and semolina in the bowl of a free-standing mixer equipped with a dough hook. Stir on the lowest setting, adding all ingredients for the dough one at a time, except for the water. When all ingredients are well combined add the water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough forms a ball. Continue mixing for 10 minutes more. Remove the ball of dough from the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
Divide the dough into 2 portions. Using a pasta maker or a heavy rolling pin, roll the dough as thin as possible into two rectangular sheets large enough to cover a ravioli mold. (Use a mold for 12 to 16 raviolis.) Make sure there is no air in between the dough sheets. Oil the ravioli mold and lay one dough sheet over the mold. Press down with finger tips to make pockets for the filling. Squeeze just enough Bean and Garlic PurŽe from the pastry bag to fill each pocket. Lightly brush water in between the pockets to make sure the top sheet of dough will seal well. Lay the remaining sheet of dough on top of the filled dough and press down firmly. Roll a small rolling pin over top with enough pressure to separate the ravioli. Turn the pan upside down and tap the bottom to remove them from the mold. Set aside for immediate use, or freeze for future use. Makes 24 to 32 raviolis.
Smoked Eggplant, Tomato and Basil Sauce: Prepare the smoked eggplant as directed below and cut it into bite-size pieces. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the tomatoes and smoked eggplant and cook, shaking the pan or stirring occasionally, just until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 3 minutes. Stir in the basil and season the sauce with salt and pepper.
To cook the ravioli: Drop the ravioli into a pot of salted, boiling water and cook until they float to the top, 2 to 3 minutes if frozen, about 1 minute if room temperature. Remove them from the pot with a spider or slotted spoon and place them in the tomato sauce. Add a small amount of pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Simmer over low heat for about 1 minute.
To serve, spoon the ravioli and sauce into four pasta bowls. Garnish with basil sprigs. Serves 4.
*To roast the garlic cloves: Peel the garlic cloves, place them in a small baking dish and cover with olive oil. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the garlic in a 300 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender.
*To smoke the eggplant: Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, place it in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover. Add the juice from 1/2 of a lemon and 1 tablespoon of salt. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Remove the eggplant from the water and pat dry. Tine the eggplant on all sides with a fork or knife. The eggplant may now be smoked in a smoker with a fruitwood based smoke at 225 degrees until soft.
Option: To grill-smoke the eggplant: Soak the eggplant as directed above. Slice it lengthwise into 1-inch slices. Brush the slices with olive oil and grill over medium-high heat until soft and lightly browned using fruitwood smoking chips.
Recipes by TellerŐs Executive Chef, Todd Meyer.
