Valdeón-Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Steak Frites and Chimichurri
The crust on this beef tenderloin is inspired from a dish at the White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine. Slightly spicy chimichurri adds a lively kick when paired with the equally piquant cheese. This recipe will yield enough crust for 6 to 8 steaks, so feel free to freeze the unused portion for a future meal. If you’re short on time, use your favorite frozen grocery store fries.
Ingredients
Chimichuri
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine
- vinegar
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon red
- pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika 1/2 cup finely chopped
- parsley leaves
Tenderloin
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 ounces Valdeón rind removed
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese finely grated
- 1 1/2 cups panko
- 2 6- ounce beef tenderloins
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Chimichuri
- Blend olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, oregano, red pepper flakes, and paprika in a food processor until smooth. Fold in parsley. Check seasoning and refrigerate until needed.
Tenderloin
- Add butter and Valdeón to the bowl of a stand mixer and combine on low until smooth. Add cheddar cheese and combine, followed by panko.
- Place three 2-foot sheets of cling wrap on a work surface, overlapping on the long edges. Evenly spread the crust mixture across the cling wrap, about 6 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 1⁄4 inch thick. Add another piece of cling wrap on top and roll to form a cylinder. The final width should be similar to the tenderloins. Wrap the ends in a knot, use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Heat grill or oven to 400°F. Season and sear tenderloins until charred on both sides. If cooking on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat and season and sear tenderloins until golden on both sides.
- Remove crust mixture from refrigerator. Unroll the cylinder and cut two disks roughly the same size as each tenderloin, then place on top of the meat. Cook on grill or in oven until desired temperature is reached. Remove and rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve with steak frites andchimichurri sauce.
Derek Bissonnette
A former chef who worked in bakeries and three Michelin-starred restaurants throughout America and Europe, Derek Bissonnette has switched gears and now documents his passion for creating food with his camera (One Cheese, Five Ways, p. 25). Derek is the author and photographer of six cookbooks and is currently working on his seventh. He combines his skills for recipe development, styling, and photography at his studio in Saco, Maine.
