Beef and Porcini Sauce

By JimMac

Ingredients

• 30 g. dried porcini mushrooms
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 - 2 kg. piece of eye fillet
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 medium brown onions, chopped
• 4 shallots, chopped
• 6 stems parsley (stalks and leaves), chopped
• 4 tablespoons cassis or other liqeur
• 1 bottle cabernet sauvignon
• 3 cups veal stock
• 20 basil leaves, finely sliced

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 175?c and soak the porcini in the warm water. Heat the butter and olive oil until bubbling then add the eye fillet and sautÈ on all sides until deep golden and caramelised. Remove the meat from the pan and keep warm.

To the same unwashed pan, add the chopped carrots, celery, onions, shallots and parsley and sauté until golden and fragrant. Place the eye fillet over the vegetables, nestling the meat into the vegetables. Bake the meat and vegetables at 175?c. for 20-25 minutes (medium-rare) or until done to your liking. Remove the meat and rest for 10 minutes, keeping warm.

Return the pan with the vegetables to the stove and cook over a high heat, adding the cassis or other liqueur and the mushroom mixture and stirring well. Add the cabernet sauvignon and boil rapidly to reduce by half, about 10 minutes. Add the veal stock and continue boiling until reduced by half again, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Slice the beef then serve the sauce ladled over the top, garnished with parsley. Alternatively, ladle the sauce and vegetables on the plate and top with the sliced meat and basil leaves.