Saddle of Lamb with Filet of Beef
For this over-the-top entree, a lamb saddle is deboned and filled with lamb tenderloins and a beef tenderloin, and slathered with veal mousse. Rolled together and roasted, it comes to the table in a rich sauce with sauteed garlic cloves for garnish. This elegant dish deserves to be accompanied by glazed tourneed vegetables and baby carrots.
Ingredients
- Veal Mousse
- Veal - 1/2 pound, chopped
- Parsley - 1 ounce, stemmed
- Egg - 1
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1 cup
- Saddle of Lamb
- Saddle of Lamb - 1 whole, with backbone, about 5 to 7 pounds
- Beef Tenderloin - 1 whole, about 2 pounds
- Fatback - 3 ounces, thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Garlic Sauce
- Bones from saddle of lamb (above)
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Onion - 1 small, chopped
- Carrot - 1 small, peeled and chopped
- Celery - 1/2 stalk, chopped
- Garlic Cloves - 2, chopped
- Tomato - 1 small, seeded and chopped
- Bouquet Garni - 1 sprig thyme, 1 bay leaf, and a few parsley stems, wrapped in a green leek leaf and tied with cotton string
- Tomato paste - 1 teaspoon
- Bourbon - 1/3 cup
- Red Wine - 1 cup
- Chicken or Beef Stock - 3 cups
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
- Garlic Garnish
- Garlic Cloves - 24, peeled
- Unsalted Butter - 1 tablespoon
- Confectioner’s Sugar - 1/2 teaspoon
Instructions
To prepare the mousse: In a food processor, puree the veal with the parsley, egg, salt, and pepper. With the machine running, slowly add the cream. Put in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator.
To prepare the lamb: Trim most of the fat from the inside of the saddle, being careful not to pierce the tenderloin filets on each side of the backbone. Following the bone, remove the 2 tenderloins, leaving them whole. Take out the backbone and reserve for sauce.
Cut out the fat that was underneath the tenderloins and backbone. Carefully shave the fat from the outside of the saddle (don’t cut into the meat). Trim fat from the tenderloins. With a mallet, pound flat the flap-like flanks of the saddle. Lay the saddle skin-side down. Salt and pepper the inside and coat with a layer of half of the veal mousse.
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the lamb tenderloins back in their original position on the saddle. Season the beef tenderloin with salt and pepper and place in the center of the saddle between the lamb tenderloins. Cover the tenderloins with the remaining veal mousse. Fold the flanks so that the inside of the saddle is closed. Cover both ends of the rolled saddle with the sliced fatback to keep the mousse inside during roasting. Season the outside with salt and pepper. Tie into position with cotton string, tieing three times lengthwise and 7 times widthwise. Rub the outside with butter and set skin-side up in a roasting pan. Roast 1 hour, to medium rare. Remove and let stand 20 minutes before slicing.
To prepare the sauce: Using a cleaver, chop the reserved lamb bones into 1-inch pieces. Saute in butter until well browned. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and saute 5 minutes, until browned. Add garlic, tomato, bouquet garni, tomato paste, and bourbon. Briefly reduce, then add the red wine. Season with salt and pepper. Cook to reduce to 1/3 cup liquid. Add stock and simmer 35 minutes, or until about 2 cups of liquid remain. Strain; keep warm.
To prepare the garnish: Blanch the garlic for 10 seconds in boiling water. Strain and blanch again in fresh boiling water. Blanch a third time the same way. Saute the blanched garlic in butter and add the confectioner’s sugar.
To serve: Remove the strings from the saddle. Slice 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick. Pool each plate with sauce and place a slice on each. Garnish with sauteed garlic cloves.
