Hot Garlic And Tequila Chuck Filets
Really, really spicy, this is a surprising way to serve steak. It uses an overlooked cut of beef that is much better than its low price would lead you to believe. Chuck mock tenderloin really does look like filet. The main difference in cooking it is that it takes longer than filet to reach any degree of doneness. The instructions here look lengthy, but you'll find this simple to cook.
- 2 heads garlic
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 jalapeno peppers
- 1 Anaheim chile pepper
- 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves only
- 6 medium leaves fresh basil
- 2 lbs. chuck mock tenderloin (also known as "shoulder filets")
- 2 Tbs. butter
- Salt
- 1 1/2 oz. tequila
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
1. Cut off the top of the garlic heads, exposing the meat of the cloves. Pour the olive oil into a puddle on a baking pan, and set the garlic heads cut side down on top of the oil. Bake for one hour, or until the cloves are quite soft and browned.
2. Roast the peppers under a broiler, turning them until the outsides are charred and blistered. Let the peppers cool until you can handle them. Wear plastic gloves. Peel away the skin, and open the peppers. Remove the seeds and the membrane inside. Rinse the peppers in hot water. Cut them into thin strips about an inch long.
3. When the garlic is roasted, remove and peel the cloves (you can squeeze them out, usually). Put them into a food processor bowl with a little salt, the parsley and basil, and about a tablespoon of the peppers. Process into a rough paste.
4. Cut the chuck tenders into pieces about eight ounces each. (They may already come that way in the package.) Cut slits in the sides of each, about two-thirds of the way through and an inch wide. Using a spoon, stuff with about a tablespoon of the garlic mixture. Season the filets on the outside with salt.
5. Heat the butter in a heavy skillet and pan-broil the steaks over medium high heat. They will first stick to the pan then almost break away; that's the time to turn them. Keep rolling them over until they're browned all around. They should be medium-rare by then; to cook further, move them to a pan in the oven at 400 degrees.
6. After you remove the steaks from the skillet, lower the heat and add the tequila (from a glass, not the bottle!) to the pan. Bring to a boil and whisk to dissolve the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. When the liquid is two-thirds boiled away, add the cream, the remaining strips of jalapeno and chile pepper, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce by one-third, then pour over the steaks on their serving plates.
Serves four.
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