Spiral Rolled Beef Fillet With Fresh Pesto Recipes

SPIRAL-CUT FILLET OF BEEF WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Ask the butcher to spiral cut or jelly-roll cut the fillet for you to create a flat, rectangular sheet of beef.
• Pound the meat with the heel of your hand to a thickness of about 1/2-inch. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the pesto evenly over the meat, leaving a 1-inch border along one of the long sides. Starting from the opposite long side, roll the meat into a log like a jelly roll.
• Using kitchen string and starting 1/2-inch from one end, tie the meat in 8 places at equal intervals of approximately 1-inch. Slice between the ties to create 8 pinwheels.
• Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill, preheat a gas grill, or preheat a stove-top cast-iron grill pan over high heat. Drizzle the meat with olive oil, then grill on both sides, turning once, until done, to your taste. Let rest for a few minutes, then remove the strings and serve.
• Prepare a bowl of ice water. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Put the basil in a sieve and plunge it into the boiling water, pushing the leaves down into the water and stirring them so they blanch evenly. Blanch for 15 seconds, then plunge the basil into the ice water to cool quickly. Drain immediately, squeeze the basil dry, and chop it roughly.
• In a blender, puree the basil with the oil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and ascorbic acid. When well blended, add the cheese and whir briefly just to mix. Transfer to a bowl and adjust the seasoning.
• Yield: about 3/4 cup, enough for 1 pound pasta.

SUNNY'S EASY BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH HOLIDAY PESTO

Steps:

• For the beef: Drizzle the tenderloin all over with olive oil. In a bowl, combine the paprika and salt. Place plenty of black pepper on a plate. Sprinkle the paprika and salt mixture on the beef, then press the beef into the pepper to coat. Wrap tightly and rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Unwrap the beef and place on a wire rack set on a baking sheet. Roast until the internal temperature is about 120 degrees F, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove and rest at room temperature or refrigerate.
• For the pesto: In a food processor, combine the parsley, pecans, rosemary, sage, mint, garlic and lemon zest and juice. Pulse while slowly adding enough olive oil until the desired consistency is reached, like a dip. Taste and season with salt. Refrigerate until needed.
• To serve: Slice the beef and serve warm or at room temperature alongside the pesto, crackers and crostini.

SPIRAL ROLLED BEEF FILLET WITH FRESH PESTO

Steps:

• With the heel of your hand or a meat mallet, pound the meat and flatten to a thickness of about 1/2-inch.
• Sprinkle the inside of the meat with salt and pepper. Spread the pesto over the meat, leaving a 1-inch border on 1 long side. Roll the meat toward the border.
• With your knife, mark the fillet at 1-inch intervals. Run skewers through your fillet in between your knife marks so that each portion has a skewer securing it. Using your knife marks as a guide, cut your fillet into slices. Drizzle with the oil.
• Preheat the grill or a grill pan.
• Grill slices over high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

BEEF TENDERLOIN STUFFED WITH HERB PESTO

Steps:

• Position the meat on a cutting board so it is perpendicular to the board. With a sharp knife, make a 1-inch-deep incision along the length of the roast. Then use a sawing motion as you continue to cut, moving the knife down and to the left; with your fingers, begin to pry open the roast. Continue cutting, flattening the meat as you go to make a flat rectangular piece about 9 by 12 inches. (Don't worry if it looks a bit ragged.) Lightly pound the meat with a mallet to make it evenly flat. Season meat on both sides with salt and pepper. Lay the meat on a baking sheet cut side up and refrigerate while you prepare the pesto.
• Make the pesto: Put parsley, basil, garlic and olives in a food processor or blender. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Pulse to roughly chop, then add oil and process to a coarse purée. Add cheese, lemon zest and crushed red pepper and pulse briefly to combine.
• Spread pesto evenly over the cut surface of the beef, leaving a 1-inch border at all edges. Roll up the meat like a jellyroll, with the seam on the bottom. Tie roll securely with butcher's twine at 2-inch intervals along its length. Drizzle the surface of the roll with oil and rub with your hands to distribute. Leave meat at room temperature to season for at least 30 minutes. (Alternatively, wrap and refrigerate the roast for several hours or overnight. Return to room temperature before proceeding.)
• Build a fire in a charcoal grill, leaving one side of the grill free of coals. Sear the roast on all sides directly over medium-hot coals. Move the roast off the coals and cook over indirect heat, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer registers 125 degrees for medium-rare meat, about 30 minutes. (To prevent overcooking, begin checking after 20 minutes.) Let rest for at least 15 minutes before removing twine and carving into 1/2-inch slices. For easier slicing, let roast cool to room temperature.