Beef fillet cooked at low temperature, for celebration or party

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 kg beef fillet(s), well-hung or ribeye/entrecôte
• 50 g peanut oil or clarified butter
• 30 g butter
• 6 garlic cloves
• some thyme stalks
• Pepper, freshly ground
• Salt (Fleur de Sel or other coarser salt)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

This is similar to a NT roast beef, but even more tender and practically melts in your mouth. It’s perfect for parties. The quality of the ingredients is important, of course. We buy the steak at the wholesale market, where you can get the whole fillet, weighing 1.5-2.5 kg, for around €25/kg (2009), so it’s worth the trip compared to the supermarket. South American meat is of very good quality; the cattle there usually roam freely. If you have a whole fillet, you should cut it in half, cutting off the long and slightly wider pieces and the tip of the fillet at the end for other things, as otherwise it will be overcooked. Preheat the oven to approximately 90°C (top and bottom heat) (check the temperature with an oven thermometer!) and place a roasting pan inside. Peel and halve the garlic. Wash the meat, pat dry, and carefully remove any skin and fat. Season with salt and pepper. Brown all over in hot oil, but don’t overcook it, or you’ll overcook it. Reduce the oven temperature to 80°C. Place the fillet in the roasting tin, arrange the garlic cloves and thyme sprigs on top, and spread the butter on top. Cook uncovered for about 2 hours (approx. 1 hour for each 500g piece), basting occasionally with the juices. If you’re using multiple pieces, the time remains the same. Check with a meat thermometer; the fillet is done when the internal temperature reaches 60°C. During a party, you can leave the meat in the oven; the oven should be reduced to 60°C and, if possible, only use bottom heat; this way, the consistency will hardly change over several hours. A hot plate isn’t ideal, as it’s often too hot. You can also cook it on a rack without a roasting tin; then it will be a little less juicy, but you’ll have a perfectly pink fillet all over. In a roasting tin, there may be a zone a few millimeters at the bottom that is a little more cooked. This goes well with green beans and fried potatoes with rosemary (triplets).