Fillet of Beef

(All Recipes have Gluten-Free Options)

Five Marys Spiced Fillet of Beef with Caramelised Onion Sauce & Bay Leaf Baby Roast Potatoes (Serves 4)

This wonderful recipe for beef is one which I have taken from the ‘Five Marys Ranch Raised Cookbook’. I bought this book recently and have enjoyed reading it, not only for it’s wonderful meaty recipes, but also for the wonderful photos which take the reader on a tour of the authors Californian ranch. It all looks wonderfully idyllic, with the mountains in the background, cattle in the fields, lots of checked shirts and cowboy boots! This recipe uses a lovely ‘five spice’ mix to flavour the meat which is then simply cooked in the oven for about 30 minutes – you may notice that this is a slightly longer cooking time than my recipe for Beef Fillet & Port Sauce, this is because the beef is not seared beforehand, in order to avoid burning the garlic marinade. The Caramelised Onion & Red Wine sauce which accompanies the beef is the ‘icing on the cake‘, complementing the meat with its richness. I like to serve the beef with Bay Leaf Baby Roast Potatoes (recipe here); together they make a deliciously easy meal. You could also serve some greens or a salad on the side.

Five Marys Spice Rub

This is a wonderful spice rub to make and keep in your cupboard – it can be kept in a jar for up to 6 months. It is a good seasoning for steaks or chops, it will also give a kick to soups or stews and is wonderful sprinkled over eggs or avocado toast!…

3 tablespoons rock salt

2 tablespoons chilli flakes

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 tablespoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons salt flakes

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

  1. Simply mix the ingredients together and store in an airtight jar!

Five Spice Roast Fillet of Beef with Caramelised Onion & Red Wine Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon M5 Spice Rub (recipe above)

2 teaspoons thyme leaves, chopped

2 x fillets of beef, 450g each – nice even pieces

For the sauce:

90 g butter

2 onions, sliced

480ml red wine

240ml beef stock

3 sprigs of thyme

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

Sea salt and black pepper

  1. Combine the olive oil, garlic, spice rub and thyme. Rub it over the fillets of beef, cover and leave at room temperature for an hour or refrigerate if longer – bring to room temperature before cooking if refrigerated.
  2. Place the beef in a preheated oven, 180’c fan, for 25 -30 minutes for medium rare (a meat thermometer will read 55’c). Move to a plate to rest for about 15-30 minutes, loosely covered with foil.
  3. Meanwhile make the sauce. In a large pan melt 30g of butter, fry the onions with a big pinch of salt, until golden and caramelised  – about 15-20 minutes.
  4. Add the wine, stock and thyme, increase the heat and boil for about 10 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half.
  5. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and sugar, continue to cook for 1 minute longer.
  6. When ready to serve, remove the thyme sprigs from the sauce, reheat gently and add the remaining 60g butter – a little at a time to allow it to emulsify. Finally add any juices from the rested meat.
  7. Cut the beef into thick slices, serve topped with the warm sauce.

Peppered Fillet of Beef with Port Sauce (Serves 4)

This fillet of beef recipe, is one that I have been doing for years. I particularly like that the sauce can be made in advance, so there is no last minute rush. I like to serve it with Dauphinoise Potatoes, I rather like the cheese version for this dish, but you could also serve it with my simpler recipe without cheese (recipes here). In addition, a great accompaniment is Green Beans with Shallots & Sherry Vinegar or simply Sautéed Spinach (recipes here).

2 x fillets of beef, 450g each – nice even pieces

2 teaspoons black peppercorns, lightly crushed

Olive oil

400ml port

2 sprigs of thyme

2 cloves of garlic, halved

300ml beef stock

2 teaspoons cornflour made into a paste with 2 tablespoons of the port

Sea salt and black pepper

  1. Season the beef with salt and evenly coat it with the crushed peppercorns.
  2. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and brown the beef all over, then transfer to a roasting tray.
  3. Place the beef in a preheated oven, 180’c fan, for about 20 minutes for medium rare (a meat thermometer will read 55’c). Move to a plate to rest.
  4. Meanwhile put the port, thyme and garlic in a small saucepan and boil to reduce by half, then whisk in the beef stock and the cornflour paste. Cook, whisking for about 1 minute until the sauce has thickened.
  5. Check the sauce for seasoning, adding any juices from the resting beef.
  6. Slice the beef into thick slices and serve with the sauce, Dauphinoise Potatoes and Green Beans with Shallots & Sherry Vinegar (recipes here).