Boeuf au Manioc (Beef Filet on Yuca Biscuit)
Yuca and potato combine to create small fried cakes that hold a crusted filet of beef above a rich Burgundy-herb sauce. The yuca biscuits are mixed the day ahead and refrigerated, then sliced and fried at the last minute.
Ingredients
- Sauce
- Red Burgundy Wine - 4 cups
- Shallots - 8, minced
- Garlic - 4 cloves, minced
- Rosemary - 1 sprig
- Thyme - 1 sprig
- Bay Leaf - 1
- Sugar - 1/2 teaspoon
- Veal stock - 2 cups
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Salt and freshly cracked white pepper
- Yuca Biscuits
- Yuca - 2-1/4 pounds
- Potato - 1 pound
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Cayenne pepper - To taste
- Bread Crust
- Bread Crumbs - 1-1/4 cup fresh
- Unsalted Butter - 6 oz (3/4 stick)
- Gruyere Cheese - 2 tablespoons
- Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
- Rosemary and thyme - 2 tablespoons mixed chopped fresh
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Beef Filets
- Beef - 4 filets (1 pound)
- Unsalted Butter - 2 oz
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Garnish
- Yuca Chips - 4
- Mache - 1 bunch
- Olive Oil - 1 oz
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
To make the sauce: In a non-aluminum saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the wine, shallots, garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and sugar. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the wine has almost totally evaporated, about 30 minutes. Add the veal stock and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by one fourth in volume. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and return to the pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the butter, one piece at a time, whisking constantly and incorporating each piece completely before adding the next. Keep warm over tepid water or in a thermos.
To make the biscuits: Put the yuca and potatoes in a large pot and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and cover. Cook, until just softened to the centers, 15 – 20 minutes. Drain. Puree the yuca and potatoes by passing through a meat grinder or ricer into a large bowl. By hand stir in the salt and cayenne. Roll into a 1-1/2-inch-thick cylinder, or rope. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours. Just before serving, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. In a saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and fry the yuca biscuits until golden on both sides, 2 – 3 minutes. Pat dry on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
To make the bread crust: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
To prepare the filets: Season the filets with salt and pepper. In a large ovenproof skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and sear the filets on one side until browned; turn and sear on the other side, about 5 minutes total.
Off the heat, press the bread crumb mixture onto the tops of the filets, coating completely. Preheat the broiler to high. Brown under the broiler for 6 – 8 minutes, until the tops are golden and the filets are cooked to taste.
To serve: Fill the plates with Burgundy sauce. Place four yuca biscuits on each plate. Top with a filet. Top each filet with a yuca chip. Toss the mache with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place a mound of mache on each filet.
