California Beef Crostini Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Cut baguette into 36 slices. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Spritz with cooking spray. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake until lightly browned, 4-6 minutes., Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sour cream, chives, horseradish and salt. Top toasts with beef; dollop with sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and additional chives.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Arrange the bread slices on 2 heavy large baking sheets. Drizzle 3 tablespoons oil over the bread slices. Bake until the crostini are pale golden and crisp, about 15 minutes.
• Blend the bell peppers and mayonnaise in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Season the bell pepper mayonnaise, to taste, with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
• Tie the beef with kitchen string to help maintain its shape. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy small skillet over medium heat. Add the beef to the skillet and cook until brown and cooked to desired doneness, about 8 minutes for rare. Freeze the beef until it is just frozen (this will make it easier to slice), about 3 hours. Using a large sharp carving knife, cut the beef into thin slices.
• Spread the bell pepper mayonnaise over the crostini and top with the sliced beef. Arrange the crostini on a platter. Scatter over the capers, sprinkle with the coarse sea salt, and serve.
• Do-Ahead Tip: The bell pepper mayonnaise and sliced beef can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.
• Alternative: If desired, the beef tenderloin can be substituted with 1 pound freshly sliced roast beef. Since the roast beef is already cooked and can be used as is, it makes a great time-saving alternative.

Steps:

• For the beef tenderloin: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Place the beef tenderloin on a baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Rub the oil and seasoning evenly over the meat.
• Roast the tenderloin until an internal thermometer reads 125 to 130 degrees F for rare to medium rare, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, tent with aluminum foil and let rest until it reaches room temperature, at least 20 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and thinly slice.
• For the crostini: Turn down the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
• Put the baguette slices on a baking sheet in 1 layer. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and toasted, about 5 minutes.
• For the horseradish sauce: Add the sour cream, applesauce, horseradish, mayonnaise, breadcrumbs and chives to a medium bowl and mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
• To assemble: Spread a dollop of horseradish sauce onto each toasted baguette piece, add a slice of beef tenderloin and then top with another dollop of horseradish sauce and a few watercress leaves.

Steps:

• Combine the garlic, hot red pepper flakes, peppercorns, rosemary, and olive oil in a Zip-loc bag. Add the beef, coating it with the marinade. Squeeze all the air out of the bag so the beef is enveloped by the marinade, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat the grill or broiler for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle the steak with the salt and grill or broil to rare or medium rare, depending on your preference.
• The cooking time will depend on the thickness and temperature of the beef, so push at the steak with your finger, and if it still feels totally raw in the middle, give it a little longer.
• This is one of the things that cooks just need to intuit and learn to read the silent signs. Better under than overcooked, so check often, and if your finger defeats you, cut the steak with a knife and have a look. Let the steak rest for at least an hour, to get the juices back into the meat, then cut into short, very thin slices. (The best knife for slicing is a bread knife with wavy rather than pointed teeth, which cuts through beef amazingly well.) Serve on Grilled Garlic Crostini.
• Arrange a few shaved slices of beef on each piece of bread, top with a pungent dot of Horseradish Cream, scatter with minced Italian parsley, and dust on a little kosher salt.