Beef: It's What's for Dinner

Tonight's class was all about beef. Our team was responsible for a delicious dish which I can't wait to make again and wanted to share with you -- Coffee Rubbed Filet of Beef. It was served over grits with bitter greens and drizzled with a pasilla chili sauce. YUM! I've had coffee rubbed beef in the past, but being able to make it from scratch (especially when you don't have to shell out the bucks for the tenderloin) was awesome. It would be a great dish to serve if you're having a dinner party. A beautifully cooked filet of beef makes for an elegant dish, but serving it atop hearty grits with greens takes it to the next level as an ultimate feel good meal. If you're feeling beefy, picture and recipe are below for your reference.

A few other dishes our class prepared... homestyle meatloaf, stroganoff, fajitas and swiss steak. Most turned out fairly well, although the meatloaf ended up as more of a crumble than a loaf. And not the good kind of crumble. After it came out of the oven black and crispy (pictured right) Chef John did his best to salvage the remnants on the team's behalf and it was actually he who coined it as a crumble. I am however, responsible for including this crumbly meatloaf on my blog. Sorry team 3, I just couldn't help myself.



Coffee Rubbed Filet of Beef with Grits & Pasilla Chili Sauce
Yield: 6 servings

Beef Tenderloin:
1 beef tenderloin (Chateaubriand cut) cleaned and tips removed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp coffee beans, ground very fine
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon powder

Pasilla Chili Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
8 oz white onion, roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 pasilla chili pepper, stemmed & seeded & chopped into large pieces
3/4 oz white corn tortilla, shredded
20 oz chicken stock
2 oz heavy cream
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp brown sugar
*we added red pepper flakes to this recipe

Creamy Grits with Bitter Greens:
4 cups water
8 oz instant grits
1 1/2 tsp salt, plus more if needed
6 oz yellow onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp butter
4 oz arugula, roughly chopped
*we added freshly grated parm to this recipe, cheddar would also be great

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Tie filet with twine at 1" intervals. Rub filet with S&P; then rub with oil.
3. Combine coffee, cocoa powder and cinnamon. Spread mixture onto your work surface and roll filet to coat evenly. Allow beef to marinate approximately 30 minutes.
4. While meat is marinating, prepare pasilla chili sauce. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat, saute onions and garlic until browned. Add pasilla, tortilla and continue sauteing until golden brown.
5. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover loosely and cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Puree sauce in a blender until smooth and strain. Add cream, salt and brown sugar; stir to combine. (hold until ready to serve)
6. Place filet on a rack in roasting pan. Roast filet at 400F for 10 minutes. Lower heat to 250F and cook until desired doneness, approximately 20-25 minutes for medium rare. Remove from oven, remove twine and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.
7. While meat is resting, prepare grits. Bring water to a boil in saucepan. Add salt and stir in grits. Follow instructs on the box, instant grits usually cook in about 5 minutes. In separate pan, saute onion and garlic in butter until onion is translucent. Add greens and saute until just wilted.
7. Add greens and cheese to grits. Season to taste with S&P.

To serve, spoon grits into the center of each plate. Ladle a portion of the pasilla sauce around the grits. Slice filet to desired thickness and serve fanned onto each plate. Garnish with cilantro sprigs. Enjoy!