Beef Tenderloin with Einkorn, Fiddleheads, and Horseradish Cream
This gourmet-meets-rustic recipe unites lean beef tenderloin, earthy simmered einkorn (heirloom wheat berries), fiddleheads, and the fiery punch of horseradish for a decidedly different but entirely delicious spring meal.
Servings 6 people
Calories 296kcal
Ingredients
Einkorn
- 1 cup einkorn or other wheat berry
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup walnut pieces
- 1.5 tbsp butter
- salt to taste
Horseradish Cream
- 2 tbsp prepared horseradish
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt (thin variety - not thick/Greek)
Fiddleheads
- 250 g fiddleheads
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp honey or sugar
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Beef
- 4-6 medallions beef tenderloin depending on size, number served
- salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (I like avocado oil)
- 1/4 cup red wine
Instructions
Einkorn
- Bring the stock to a boil in a large pot. Add the einkorn, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the einkorn is tender but still chewy - approximately 35-40 minutes.
- When the einkorn is nearly finished, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the walnuts and saute for about 1 minute, then remove from heat.
- Stir the butter and walnuts into the cooked einkorn. Salt to taste, the cover and set aside.
Horseradish Cream
- Thoroughly combine the yogurt and horseradish in a small bowl and set aside.
Steak
- Pat the steaks dry with paper towel, then season with salt and let rest at room temperature.
- Place a pan on the stovetop over high heat (I like to use cast iron for this). Get pan very hot, then add the oil and half the butter. Add the steaks and sear for about 2 minutes. Turn the steaks over, adding the remaining butter, sear for an additional 2 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and spoon wine/butter mixture over the steaks as they cook. Cook to desired doneness (about 3-4 more minutes for medium-rare, 5 more for medium). Set the cooked steaks aside to rest, ideally with the leftover sauce from the pan. See notes for more tips.
Fiddleheads
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Boil the cleaned fiddleheads for 15 minutes (see note). Discard the water when finished.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the honey and vinegar, then saute the cooked fiddleheads in the mixture for about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
To Serve
- Serve a portion of einkorn with the just-cooked fiddleheads and rested steak. You can cut the steaks at an angle for visual impact if you like. Spoon a bit of the leftover sauce from cooking the steaks over the meat. Add a portion of horseradish cream onto the plates or over the steak (or both).
Notes
Timing: There's a fair bit of waiting involved in this recipe, and it will go fastest and taste best in the end if you can get the timing right on all of the components. I recommend you use the following schedule:
- Start the einkorn (boil stock, bring einkorn to a simmer and cover).
- Season steaks, set aside at room temperature.
- Make horseradish-yogurt sauce.
- Clean and boil the fiddleheads.
- Finish the einkorn (butter/walnuts, season, set aside).
- Cook the steak, let rest.
- Finish the fiddleheads. Combine everything and serve.
- Let your steaks get to room temperature before cooking.
- Don't try to move the steaks while they're searing. If they won't release from the pan fairly easily, they're probably not ready to flip.
- Don't overcook the steak. Tenderloin becomes tough if cooked beyond medium. Don't forget that the steak will continue to cook a little bit after being pulled from the pan, so if you're using a meat thermometer be sure to allow for this.
Nutrition
Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 287mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1785IU | Vitamin C: 12.5mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1.9mg