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

Filet of Beef, Griscom

Neatly trim a three-pound piece filet of beef. Cut two ounces lean ham in small strips, then with a larding needle insert these strips on the surface of the filet. Lay a mirepoix in a roasting pan; lay the filet on top, season all around with half teaspoon salt and half teaspoon pepper, lightly baste the filet with a little melted butter; pour half a gill water into pan, then set in oven thirty-five minutes, turning and basting once in a while. Remove and keep hot in the pan.

Carefully wipe three good-sized, but not too ripe, sound red tomatoes, cut them in even halves, crosswise. With a small keen knife cut away a very little of the soft part of each half from the top "cut part" without disturbing the skin. Evenly season them with half teaspoon salt, three saltspoons sugar and two saltspoons white pepper. Place in a mortar one ounce raw beef marrow, one sound good-sized chopped shallot, one branch very fresh parsley, one branch fresh chervil and two branches tarragon. Season with saltspoon salt and half saltspoon cayenne pepper, thoroughly pound to a nice smooth paste, then press the paste through a wire sieve into a bowl, add a tablespoon fresh bread crumbs, strain in the juice of quarter of a sound lemon, stir till well mixed, then spread the force evenly over the six half tomatoes--cut side. Arrange the tomatoes on a lightly buttered tin, set in the oven fifteen minutes, remove and use as directed. Peel and thoroughly wash twelve medium, sound fresh mushrooms and fry to a nice golden colour in a tablespoon melted butter, season with three saltspoons salt. Have six timbales of spinach ready. Place filet on a large hot dish and alternately arrange the garnishing around the filet; that is to say, a timbale of spinach, a fresh mushroom, a tomato, another mushroom, timbale, and so on until finished. Skim fat from surface of the gravy; pour in half gill good sherry, one good gill demi-glace and tablespoon truffle liquor; lightly mix, then briskly boil eight minutes. Strain through a Chinese strainer over the filet, and serve very hot.