Pancetta-wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Whipped Horseradish Cream

Pancetta-wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Whipped Horseradish Cream

Total: 1 Hour, 25 minutes

Makes 8 servings

Every once in a while, it is nice to have an excuse to make something a bit fancy – elaborate even. And while I like to think that as a family of 3 (well, maybe more like 2 and a half), we eat some nice food, I will rarely break out the really fancy stuff, for fear our toddler will cut dinner short or request mac and cheese instead.

So I welcome Christmas. Not just because it is my favorite time of year, but because it gives me an excuse to host. To make something a little more than your average nightly meal. And, while I tend to make ham on Christmas Day, I thought I would mix it up this year. When I saw this recipe in Southern Living for pancetta-wrapped tenderloin, I knew it had to be good. And, I wasn’t wrong.

It was surprisingly easy, once I got down the “wrapping technique.” And, on a platter it looked very impressive. It also made fantastic leftovers – putting the beef on buns with the horseradish cream as a sandwich.

This will be making a comeback next year – and hopefully before then. Bon appetit!

Ingredients

1 (5- to 6-lb.) beef tenderloin, trimmed

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

14 very thin pancetta slices

Wax paper

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

Kitchen string

Whipped Horseradish Cream

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Sprinkle tenderloin with salt and pepper. Cook tenderloin in 2 Tbsp. hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Let cool 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, arrange pancetta slices in 2 rows on a large piece of wax paper, overlapping to form a rectangle the same length and width of tenderloin.

3. Sprinkle garlic and rosemary over tenderloin. Place tenderloin on edge of 1 long side of pancetta. Tightly roll up tenderloin with pancetta, using wax paper as a guide. Discard wax paper. Tie tenderloin with kitchen string, securing at 1-inch intervals. Transfer to an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, and brush with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil.

4. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until pancetta is crispy and a meat thermometer inserted into center of tenderloin registers 120° (rare). Let stand 10 minutes. Discard kitchen string before slicing. Serve with Whipped Horseradish Cream.

Note: For medium-rare, cook tenderloin to 135°, or to 150° for medium.

 

Whipped Horseradish Cream

Ingredients

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup horseradish

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon salt

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Preparation

1. Beat whipping cream at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer 1 minute or until soft peaks form.

2. Fold in remaining ingredients. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 8 hours.

 

Smoke-Roasted Chicken Thighs With Paprika and Creme Fraiche Stuffed Tomatoes

As Ohio seems to have gotten a severe fast-forward into fall, I am resigned to the fact that grilling out is going to be few and far between. Although, my parents grill in the dead of winter in Michigan (and shovel a path to their grill!), so I am not saying it cannot be done. But, I will admit our grill gets used a bit less frequently, especially when I would rather cacoon inside and smell up the house with spices and tantalizing goodness.

But, a few more grilling recipes will be showing up as stragglers – ones I really wanted to try this year and just couldn’t bear waiting until next spring. Needless to say, they would become hidden in my folder of “must tries” and then get shoved aside for the new recipes that Bon Appetit or La Cucina Italiana says I must make in spring 2011.

So, this New York Times recipes is one of the last ones standing. My husband requested it when he read it a few Sundays ago, and I make a point to always whip up his requests…

It seems so simple – just smoked paprika, honey, lemon juice, garlic and butter – smothered on some chicken thighs and nestled on a sizzling grill. But, the taste explodes with a sweetness of the honey (and nice caramelizing), the smokiness of the paprika and the punch of the garlic. And, the butter just melts it all together…

The stuffed tomatoes were a far cry from what the original recipe said. I couldn’t find robiola in my local store (although I have run past 2 recipes since then requiring it, so I will need to find a supplier quick!), so I substituted creme fraiche. I am sure another cheese would be better – something less the texture of creme fraiche and more the texture of, well, robiola. But, it turned out really nice and refreshing, and cut the smokiness of the chicken perfectly.

So, don’t give up on your grill quite yet -there is no snow to shovel, just leaves to sweep out of the way. Seems a small price to pay for a fantastic dinner!

SMOKE-ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH PAPRIKA
Serves 4
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons softened butter
8 bone-in chicken thighs (about 3½ pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Mint leaves, for garnish.

Build a fire in a grill with a cover, leaving about ⅓ of the grill free of coals. If using a gas grill, make sure one side of the grill is unheated, and either swap out the paprika above for the smoked version known as pimenton de la vera or wrap two small mounds of moistened wood chips in heavy aluminum foil and pierce the tops of the packets with the tines of a fork.

In a bowl, combine the paprikas, honey, lemon juice, garlic and butter and stir to make a paste. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then coat thoroughly by hand with the spice paste.

Place chicken on cooler side of grill and cover. If using wood chips, place the foil packets, pierced side up, on the hotter side of the grill and cover. Roast chicken for 15 minutes, turn, cook for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until cooked through.

Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, with lemon wedges, sprinkled with mint leaves.

ROBIOLA-STUFFED TOMATOES (or CREME FRAICHE-STUFFED TOMATOES)
Serves 4

4 large ripe tomatoes
3½ ounces robiola cheese, rind removed, diced (or creme fraiche or other soft cheese)
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or use insides of ripe tomatoes, above
½ teaspoon mild paprika
4 chives, finely diced
2 tablespoons vodka (yes, vodka)

Halve the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds and some of the flesh. Sprinkle the shells with kosher salt and turn them upside down on paper towels to drain for 30 minutes.

Place the robiola, gorgonzola and butter in a bowl, season sparingly with salt and aggressively with pepper, and beat until smooth.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

Fill the tomatoes with the mixture. Place on serving dish until ready to serve. Serves 4. Adapted from “Recipes From an Italian Summer,” by the editors of Phaidon Press.

Oregano and Lime Roasted Chicken Breasts

I don’t think I am alone when I say that despite the guilt comes with it, eating the skin on chicken might be the best part of the bird. It tends to accumulate all of the flavor and gets crispy and juicy.

However, in attempts to eat a bit healthier, I always thought the skin was a luxury – a reward for a good week of healthy eating. And, it always was a treat that made me feel a bit guilty after the fact.

Yet Cooking Light Magazine has told me to leave the guilt behind, and I have to say I love the way they think. They say a 12-ounce bone-in, skin-on chicken breast half contains just 2.5 grams of saturated fat and 50 calories more than its similarly portioned skinless counterpart. That being said, I think I can enjoy a little chicken skin without feeling like I must compensate with adding another mile onto my run.

The flavor in this dish is fantastic – and I didn’t even let it sit for 4 hours (I only had 2 to give) so I am sure if you have the patience, it would only get better. The tequila sounded a bit odd, but I didn’t taste an alcohol taste – just a fun, bright Latin American flavor.

Thanks to Cooking Light for this one!

OREGANO AND LIME ROASTED CHICKEN BREASTS
Serves 4

Chicken:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons grated lime rind
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves (about 3 pounds)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Sauce:
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon tequila
1/2 teaspoon lime juice

To prepare chicken, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Loosen skin from breast halves by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub the oregano mixture evenly under loosened skin of each breast half. Arrange chicken breasts in a shallow dish; cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Add chicken to pan, skin side down; cook 5 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over, and transfer to oven. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan, reserving 1 1/2 tablespoons drippings; set chicken aside, and keep warm.

To prepare sauce, heat reserved drippings in pan over medium-high heat. Add flour and 1/4 teaspoon cumin to pan, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add chicken broth, 1 tablespoon tequila, and lime juice, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to about 2/3 cup (about 2 minutes), stirring occasionally. Serve with chicken.

Easter Dinner – Ham with Gingersnap Glaze, Yukon Gold and Fennel Puree with Rosemary Butter and Roasted Asparagus

One of my favorite things is cooking for others. Although I do love cooking for myself and my husband every night, there is nothing like friends and family around the table enjoying a great meal.

I was lucky enough to have my parents come down from Michigan for Easter. Although they had to make the long drive back on Sunday, I couldn’t send them off without a large Easter brunch.

I have to preface this post by saying never will I ever have amazing photos like I do today. My father, lawyer by day and photographer by night (www.robertstonephotography.com) took photos of the food. And, it made me realize that I really need to take some food photography classes!

This meal is so much simpler than it might look. I have prepared this ham two years in a row (based off of Alton Brown’s City Ham with Gingersnaps), but I omit the bourbon. I have no clue if the ham would be better with it, but it sure is great without it. It is easy to cook and requires so little prep time. TIP: If you don’t have an instant thermometer that you can put in the oven with the meat hooked to a temperature timer you set on your counter, get one! It is essential. For just $20 or so, you can say goodbye to the days of opening the oven, poking the meat, closing the oven, repeat!

The potatoes are a bit more work, but it can all be done the day before. I love the rosemary and fennel combination – very earthy and rustic. This time I made my potatoes, I actually used the small Yukon Golds and didn’t even peel them. This recipe, from Bon Appetit, is a great go to for Thanksgiving as well.

The asparagus is so simple, it really needs no recipe. I always take asparagus and coat it with olive oil, salt and pepper (and sometimes herbs and cheese) and roast it. There is something about the roasting of the asparagus that gives it a unique flavor.

As for prep the day before, I made the potatoes. The day of , I put the ham in the oven, then did a quick coating (took about 5 minutes) halfway through, then about 15 minutes before we ate (while the ham was resting) I put in the asparagus. It is a great meal with company because there really is so little time in the kitchen needed.

HAM WITH GINGERSNAPS
1/2 city-style ham
1/8 cup brown mustard
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup crushed gingersnap cookies.

Cook ham according to directions (tented with foil). When ham reaches 350, brush a liberal coat of mustard using a basting brush. Then, sprinkle on brown sugar, packing loosely as you go, until the ham is coated. Then, loosely pack on as much of the crushed cookies as you can. Return to the oven and cook until interior temperature reaches 140. Let the ham rest, then carve and serve.

YUKON GOLD AND FENNEL PUREE WITH ROSEMARY BUTTER

8 to 10 servings
2 large fresh fennel bulbs (about 2.5 pounds, trimmed, quartered through core, center core trimmed and discarded, cut into 3/4-inch pieces)
1 medium onion, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 1 3/4 cups)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt, divided (or kosher salt)
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled (optional), cut into 1.5-inch pieces
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1.5 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup creme fraiche

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line large rimed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine fennel, onion, oil and 1 teaspoon salt in large bow; toss. Spread in single layer on prepared baking sheet; sprinkle with pepper. Roast until fennel and onion are very tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Transfer fennel mixture to processor and puree until almost smooth.

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Cool slightly. Place in large bowl and mash with potato masher until smooth. Mix in fennel puree.

Melt butter with rosemary and 1 teaspoon salt in small saucepan over medium heat (or in micr0wave). Stir butter mixture into fennel, potato puree. Mix in creme fraiche. Season to taste with more pepper and salt.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS
1 bunch asparagus
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degree. Snap ends off of asparagus and place on baking sheet lined with tin foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix with your hands to coat every piece. Place into oven for about 13 or so minutes, or until tender.