Tenderloin of Beef

Ingredients

• tenderloin of beef
• 1 pint water
• 1 handful Irish potatoes
• 1 handful carrots
• 1 handful turnips
• 1 large bunch celery
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tbsp butter
• piece lean beef
• small quantity onion
• to taste pepper
• to taste salt
• eggs
• grated cracker or fine bread crumbs

Method

Braising the tenderloin in its own steam with aromatics is the foundation here. Heat the oven to 160°C. Wash the tenderloin thoroughly and pat dry — this matters for browning. Set it in a heavy pot or casserole with 600 ml water. The water won't submerge the meat; it will create steam and eventually reduce to a concentrated gravy. This is deliberate. Peel the potatoes, carrots, turnips and celery and cut them into uniform 2 cm pieces — size matters because they need to cook through in the same time as the meat without collapsing. Add them to the pot around the tenderloin. Cover and braise for 90 minutes, checking at the hour mark. The meat is nearly done when a skewer meets light resistance at the centre and the juices run clear amber, not pink.

At this point, scatter the allspice over everything — this opens during the final minutes and distributes evenly. Dot the butter across the surface in walnut-sized pieces. The butter emulsifies into the pan liquid and enriches the gravy with fat and milk solids. If the liquid looks slick with separated fat after 5 minutes, spoon off the excess with a warm spoon tilted against the rim. You want gloss, not a greasy film.

In a separate pot, boil the lean beef in salted water for 45 minutes until completely tender. This will be your forcemeat base. Cool it slightly, then mince it finely by hand or with a food processor — avoid turning it to paste. Mix with minced onion, pepper and salt to taste. The mixture should smell savoury and sharp. Form into balls roughly the size of walnuts, working quickly so they don't warm and stick. Brush each ball with beaten egg — this acts as glue — then roll in fine breadcrumbs or grated cracker until fully coated. The frying happens in hot fat (150°C) for 4-5 minutes, turning once, until the crust is golden and crisp. The interior should still be moist.

To plate: arrange the tenderloin on a warm platter, surround it with the vegetables and forcemeat balls, then pour the pan gravy over everything. Serve at once while the balls are still crisp on the outside.