Home >Recipes >Spiral Rolled Filet of Beef with Pesto

Serves: 4

• 2 lbs center cut fillet of beef, spiral cut
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup store bought pesto
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 long wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for at least 30 minutes

• Definitive Mashed Potatoes:
• 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream, or more to taste
• gray salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

With the heel of your hand or a meat mallet, pound the meat and flatten to a thickness of about 1/2-inch. Sprinkle the inside of the meat with salt and pepper. Spread the pesto over the meat, leaving a 1-inch border on 1 long side. Roll the meat towards the border.

With your knife, mark the fillet at 1-inch intervals. Run skewers through your fillet in between your knife marks so that each portion has a skewer securing it. Using your knife marks as a guide, cut your fillet into slices. Drizzle with the oil.

Preheat the grill or a grill pan.

Grill slices over high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Definitive Mashed Potatoes:

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with salted cold water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well, scatter on a baking sheet and let cool for several minutes. Place in the oven to dry out, about 5 minutes. Press the potatoes through a ricer.

Heat 1 tbsp of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until the butter stops foaming and turns a light brown. Add the garlic and cook quickly until pale gold. Add the cream, season to taste with salt and pepper (for home-style cooking black pepper is fine), and bring to a boil. (If you are a glutton, add another cup of cream and cook until reduced by one-third.) Reduce the heat to low and beat in the potatoes with a wooden spoon or large whisk. Add the remaining butter by tablespoonfuls, stirring vigorously after each addition. In this way, the butter does not melt into a golden puddle. Instead, it forms an emulsion with the potatoes, creating a very smooth, unctuous puree. Season with salt and pepper.