Fillet of Beef Larded is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of a larded fillet of beef that are braised with vegetables, herbs and beef trimmings before being garnished with vegetables and a half-glaze made with the cooking stock. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Fillet of Beef Larded.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Fillet of Beef Larded that's derived from the chef, Charles Elmé Francatelli's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
No. 389.—FILLET OF BEEF LARDED.
Procure a piece of fillet of beef, such as might be removed for the purpose from a piece of sirloin which would serve very well the next day for roasting, and with a sharp knife pare off the sinewy covering of the fillet, and lard the smooth surface with small shreds of fat bacon an inch and a quarter long, and about the six-teenth part of an inch square ; these are to be inserted in straight rows, across the fillet, and arranged so that each row dovetails into the other, thus forming a correct series of rows representing raised basket-work. The fillet should now be placed in the braizing-pan upon its drainer, garnished with the trimmings, carrot, celery, garnished bouquet, two onions with three cloves in each, a blade of mace, and a good spoonful of salt, moistened with sufficient stock or water to just barely reach up to the commencement of the larding, and set to braise, either in a brisk oven or over a slow fire with live embers on the lid of the pan ; it will take about two hours' very gentle stewing to cook it quite mellow and tender. When the fillet is done, remove it on to a dish, and set it in the oven to dry the larding ; glaze it over and dish it up. Strain the liquor, free it from grease, clarify and reduce it to half-glaze, to be served as a sauce ; or else incorporate it with any sauce fitted for braized meats ; garnish the fillet round the base with potatoes cut in the form of walnuts or large olives, and fried in butter, alternately placed with groups of green peas, cauliflower, French beans, or else with a Jardinière, or Macédoine of vegetables; pour the sauce round, and serve.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 beef fillet
fatty bacon cut into strips about 3cm long and 1.5mm square in cross-section
2 carrots, quartered
2 celery sticks, quartered
1 bouquet garni
2 onions
6 cloves
1 blade of mace
1 tsp salt
stock or water
potatoes jardinière or macédoine of vegetables, to garnish
Method:
Trim the fillet neatly and remove any membranes and sinews. With a larding needle, insert the fatty bacon strips into the upper surface of the fillet so that the strips form neat parallel rows that dovetail into each over. Arrange the larded strips so that equal parts of the larding strip dip into and out of the meat (like basketry weave).
Arrange the fillet on a wire rack in a lidded roasting tin. Add any meat trimmings, the carrots, celery, bouquet garni, 2 onions, studded with 3 cloves each, 1 blade of mace, 1 tsp salt and enough of the stock or water to just reach the level of the larding (do not cover the larding). Cover the pan, transfer to an oven pre-heated to 190°C and cook for about 120 minutes, or until the meat is very tender.
When done, remove the meat from the pan and place on a dish then place in an oven to keep warm and to dry the larding. Strain the pan juices into a bowl, skim off any fat from the surface then pour into a clean pan and whisk in the egg whites and the egg shells. Bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes to clarify then pour through a fine-meshed sieve lined with muslin or cheesecloth. Pour the liquid into a clean pan then bring to a boil and reduce to a half-glaze.
Arrange the meat on a serving plate, garnish with potatoes that are cut into the shale of olives and fried in butter, alternating with green peas, cauliflower, French beans or jardinière or macédoine of vegetables. Pour over the half-glaze sauce and serve.
