Tenderloin Steaks, Hoteliere

A Delmonico-style plate reduced to five lines: breaded fillet medallions under a butter-enriched meat glaze. Nearly everything hinges on the sauce and the broiler, neither of which the original bothers to explain.

• Colbert sauceNot something you can buy. It is a reduced meat glaze or demi-glace finished off the heat with cold butter, chopped tarragon, lemon juice and often a spoonful of Madeira. Make it before the steaks go under the heat, and never let it boil after the butter goes in or it will split.
• The cutSix four-ounce tenderloin steaks means small medallions cut from the fillet. Ask for filet mignon and have it cut thin, or slice a whole trimmed tenderloin yourself.
• Flatten gently"Neatly flatten" means a light tap with the flat of a cleaver or a heavy pan to even the thickness, not pounding into a cutlet. Tenderloin has little connective tissue to break down and can turn mealy if worked hard.
• Broiling and donenessFour minutes a side under a modern overhead broiler is likely to take these flattened medallions well past rare. For medium-rare expect appreciably less time with the rack close to the element, and watch the crumbs rather than the clock.
• Crumbs under the broilerFine fresh crumbs, not dried packaged ones. They scorch quickly at broiler heat, so pull the pan the moment they are deep gold; note that the recipe allows only a tablespoon of melted butter for all six steaks. A hot cast-iron skillet or ridged grill pan is a more forgiving substitute.
• Fried parsleyWhole dry sprigs dropped into 350F oil for ten to fifteen seconds, then drained on paper and salted. Any water on the leaves will make the fat spit violently, so dry them thoroughly first.
• ServingSix four-ounce medallions serve three as a main course, or six as one course of a longer meal. Warm the platter; the sauce is butter-rich and will congeal on a cold dish.