Chateaubriand For Two Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
• 2. In an ovenproof, heavy-bottomed frying pan, heat the olive oil over high heat until hot but not smoking.
• 3. Season the meat with salt and pepper, then brown it in the pan on all sides.
• 4. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the meat's internal temperature reaches 130°F (for rare), 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.
• 5. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and tent it with foil.
• 6. Pour all but a thin film of fat from the pan.
• 7. Add the shallot and saut it over medium-low heat until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
• 8. Add the wine and raise the heat to high, scraping up any brown bits from the pan.
• 9. When the sauce is syrupy (about 5 minutes), turn off the heat and whisk in the butter.
• 10. Carve the meat in thick slices and drizzle with the pan sauce.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250 degrees. Stand meat on its wider-cut end on a solid work surface. Fold a kitchen towel lengthwise once or twice into a wide band, and drape it loosely around the upright meat like a scarf. Gather the ends of the towel, and twist to form a tight collar that will hold meat in a round shape during pounding; grasp securely in one hand. With the other hand, pound top of meat with a meat mallet until flattened into an oval steak about 2 inches thick and 5 to 7 inches wide.
• Heat a medium grill pan over high heat until it is very hot. Rub steak with oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Place steak on grill pan at an angle to ridges, and cook until ridges leave clear marks, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Turn, maintaining same angle and repeat on second side. Turn again, rotating so visible grill marks are perpendicular to ridges. Cook until a crisscross is clearly marked, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Turn once more, maintaining same angle, and grill so second side has been on grill exactly as long as first side. Brown steak on outside edge, holding with tongs or propping against a potato, shifting meat so entire edge gets browned. Grill a total of 10 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness of steak and desired degree of doneness.
• Meat will be barely springy to the touch, indicating that it is still rare. Transfer to a small shallow roasting pan, and place pan in oven for 15 minutes. Remove to a cutting board; slice thin on a bias. Place on a warm serving platter, and pour pan juices over. Serve with bearnaise sauce on the side.

Steps:

• 1. TO PREPARE THE CHATEAU POTATOES: Cut the potatoes about 3/4 inch wide by 3/4 inch deep and 1 inch long. Carve each piece into the shape of an olive (relatively uniform pieces will cook evenly). Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a large nonstick saute pan. Add the potatoes and saute for about 15 minutes, or until light golden brown and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss with the parsley. Keep warm.
• 2. TO PREPARE THE BEARNAISE SAUCE: Combine the vinegar, wine, shallots, 2 teaspoons of the tarragon and peppercorns in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and reduce the liquid by half. Let cool until lukewarm. Transfer to the top of a double boiler set over briskly simmering water, and add the egg yolks and lemon juice, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens to the consistency of heavy cream. Add the butter and whisk until the sauce thickens again. Season with salt and pepper and strain the sauce into a clean saucepan; thin with a little water if necessary. Keep warm, and just before serving, stir in the remaining tarragon and the chervil.
• 3. TO PREPARE THE CHATEAUBRIAND: Preheat the broiler. Season the steak with salt and pepper, and place in a shallow bowl. Combine 1 tablespoon of the olive oil with the garlic and spread over the entire steak. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the steak on all sides for about 4 minutes, or until browned. Transfer to the lowest rack of the broiler and broil for about 10 minutes longer for medium-rare or 12 minutes longer for medium. Remove from the broiler and let rest about 5 minutes before cutting
• 4. TO SERVE: Spoon about 2 tablespoons of bearnaise sauce onto the center of warm dinner plates and spread out to make a 3-inch circle. Cut the Chateaubriand in half and place it cut side down onto the bearnaise sauce. Place the lobster beside the Chateaubriand so that it curls around the steak. Arrange the potatoes on the other side of the steak. Spoon more bearnaise sauce over the steak and along the length of the lobster. Drizzle extra bearnaise around the edge of the plate, if desired.