Home › The World's Kitchen › Filet of Beef, Bowers

Filet of Beef, Bowers

Neatly trim off the fat and skin from a two-and-a-half-pound piece fine filet of beef. Have fifteen very thin strips of raw, lean ham, then with a small larding needle carefully lard the top of the filet with the pork, and underneath with the ham. Lay the filet in an oval earthern or stone jar, add one sliced carrot, one sliced onion, one crushed bean of garlic, two branches parsley, one branch chervil, sprig thyme, sprig sage, blade mace, two bay leaves, one clove, two tablespoons tarragon vinegar, one gill white wine, half a gill sherry, tablespoon cognac and two gills water, season with a heaping teaspoon salt and half teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper. Cover the vessel and let infuse in a cool place eight hours at least. Lift it up, place it on a small roasting tin, baste with a little melted butter and set in a lively oven for thirty-five minutes, remove, dress on a hot dish and keep hot. Place the marinade in a saucepan and let reduce on the open fire till nearly dry, then pour in one and a half gills of demi-glace and boil for five minutes. Pick off the stems from a pound of sweet grapes, place them in a frying pan with tablespoon melted butter and brown till a nice golden colour, arrange them around the filet, strain the sauce over and serve.