Ideas for a restaurant tenderloin dish?
Our executive chef and I sat around for about 10 minutes today discussing some ideas for the fall revamp of the tenderloin plate at the restaurant. The problem is the guidelines the owner has put upon the plate because his son orders it and is very specific in what he doesn't like.
No mushrooms. No root vegetables. No Gorgonzola.
We used to do herb roasted root veggies and a truffle orzo. The current plate is mushroom gratin with a saute of carrot batonette, candied shallots, snap peas, and trumpet mushrooms with a mushroom demi.
personally I think these restrictions are a bit ridiculous. The best we could come up with is perhaps some glazed sweet potato and some sort of saute of squash. A squash ragu with some fava beans and assorted winter squash would be great, but that too wouldn't go over well with the owner.
Anyone have any great ideas that don't involve mashed potatoes? And we already have roasted potatoes for the sirloin (herb roasted potatoes with locatelli and an egg)
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19 Comments:
Risotto. Asparagus.
Baked potato. Green beans.
Saffron rice. Julienned mixed veg,
dbcurrie at 12:56AM on 10/08/09
A place I used to work did a plate with an 8oz tenderloin, polenta (flavor varied), and broccolini (sometimes spinach or haricot vert instead). We always topped it with mushrooms, but you could easily substitute a braised cippolini onion instead.
beth1 at 1:07AM on 10/08/09
I like risotto. I really like asparagus risotto. But we have a seafood risotto and a sweet pea, spinach and goat cheese risotto (with brick oven fired lobster tails) on the menu already. Risotto is ruled out...and we're tempted to use orzo for the new crab cake entree, so that's a no as well.
Some good ideas, but it's that "no root vegetable" thing that's really bothering me. We're not a steak house but it just sounds like that's the style of dish being sought.
phenoderr at 3:22AM on 10/08/09
I would take advantage of the spaghetti squash. A quick saute after pulling it apart with some sage, pine nuts and romano cheese. Finish with a bit of cream and butter and its really nice, very rich. Sometimes I have wondered if it would count as a starch on a plate.
If not, then some sweet potatoes with some maple or honey and butter sound good to me. Julienned and fried could be cool, I'm not sure if sweet potatoes fry well. I love plantains as a starch on the plate especially boiled and mashed with just some butter and salt. Gnocchi is also another option for a starch. Seared gnocchi looks beautiful, especially when made into disks or squares.
Quick sauteed greens are nice as a veggie. I love having a seasonal "ratatouille" as the veg on a plate.
sousvide at 4:12AM on 10/08/09
Last year I served beef tenderloin with some very rustic sourdough croutons--small chunks hand pulled apart--both as a base and a few on top along with thyme roasted brussel sprouts and cippoline onions deglazed with sherry vinegar. Rave reviews. People loved how the croutons soaked up the juices and provided a bit of starch without being heavy. The brussel sprouts and cippoline were perfect fall/winter companions to the tenderloin.
dhorst at 7:33AM on 10/08/09
I second the recommendations for sweet potatoes. You could finely dice them and cook them in a risotto style. That way it'd be somewhat different from the risotto that is already on your menu. Or, if the management is looking for something "steakhouse-like" you could make them into fries, with sauteed spinach or chard on the side.
Also, would a cauliflower puree work? You could flavor it with bacon and chives, maybe garnish the plate with fried leek rings...?
Amandarama at 7:57AM on 10/08/09
Maybe the owner should plan the menu for his paying customers and take his son to McDonalds. I hear they have a playground too.
Seriously though, it's pretty unreasonable to ask for an Autumn menu without root vegetables. What about braised fennel or something with eggplant or roasted peppers?
yayfood at 9:24AM on 10/08/09
" The problem is the guidelines the owner has put upon the plate because his son orders it and is very specific in what he doesn't like."
Well, that's just goofy. Create a dish that appeals to the masses. His son can order it sans toppings and sides.
Or create two: one new/updated and one that's Dinkledorf Jr.'s special.
CJ McD at 2:19PM on 10/08/09
What about an apple cinnamon sautee as a sort of play on pork chops and apple sauce. You can add dried cranberries or walnuts and use fall's best apples. For the satarch perhaps pureed butternut squash or butternut squash french fries. Some type of cabbage fennel sautee may also make a nice accompaniement. Good luck.
KtMc24 at 3:26PM on 10/08/09
Some ideas for you to riff on-
steamed baby red or yukon gold potatoes, finished in brown butter, dusted with chopped chives and parsley
frites and aioli, soked paprika mayonnaise or mustard sauce
potato gratin with horseradish cream or wasabi
potato gratin with sage and frittered onion garnish
potato-leek gratin
pommes Anna
pommes dauphines or duchess potatoes
pommes gallette with chervil (crab?)
fennel mashed potatoes
au gratin potatoes (chevre, fresh herbs) (brie, cream, fresh herbs)
(Use of smoked cheeses gives extra flavor depth and really changes the dishes)
some type of risotto (caramelized onions?)
polenta
rice pilaf
braised fennel
cauliflower gratin with bachamel and buttery cheese (cheddar?)
parmesan creamed artichokes and spinach
spinach souffle’
roasted brussel sprouts with brown butter and toasted crumbs
wilted spinach-arugula, balsamic and bacon with tenderloin atop
celeriac slaw or braised celeriac
endive slaw
port or marsala glazed shallots
haricorts verts (green beans) with caramelized shallots
bourbon-maple glazed sweet potatoes (alternative- mashed)
saute’d kale or chard (with balsamic vinegar, golden raisins and toasted pine nuts?)
cognac cream sauce
cranberry port sauce
horseradish cream
balsamic vinegar- shallot reduction
gremolata
chimi-churri
anchovy butter sauce
wrapped in or topped with bacon?
bourbon glaze
Louisville Sauce (chili sauce, worchestershire, shallots, butter, mango chutney)
horseradish, mustard or wasabi encrusted tenderloin
herb salt crust
pepper encrusted
top the wood grilled tenderloin with asparagus with a pat of herb-garlic butter or boursin (or boursin sauce)
tenderloin topped with toasted crumb mixture of parmesan, bread crumbs, rosemary, toasted pine nuts, minced parsley, tender raisins or currants and lemon zest
nestle the tenderloin in a creamy polenta with rosemary base and top with a marsala (or madiera or port) wine-butter sauce or demi-glace (pancetta wrapped?)
polenta with fire roasted tomato sauce or eggplant and roasted tomato sauce
chipotle sweet potatoes, wood grilled cumin-garlic-chile rubbed tenderloin, sweet or smoky tomato-pimento (slight cream) sauce
http://www.recipezaar.com/Jackie-Kennedys-Royal-Beef-Tenderloin-50710
CJ McD at 3:42PM on 10/08/09
Ancho chile-piloncillo sugar rub and a hollaindaise diablo sauce (hollandiase with a little tomato sauce and hot pepper sauce), or mole sauce, oven roasted corn or corn and poblano chile pudding, cilantro-lime rice or poblano rice
Would you consider adding shrimp, crab or scallops to your tenderloin dish?
'nother 'tato idea
potato coquettes
CJ McD at 4:03PM on 10/08/09
I had other thoughts too:
Cumin crusted tenderloin with a spiced chickpea puree, tomato confit and grilled eggplant.
Filet mignon glazed with miso, sherry, garlic and ginger, with a "succotash" of shelled edamame, corn, scallions and bacon and sesame-soba noodle "rosti".
Amandarama at 4:22PM on 10/08/09
Sweet potatoes are a root vegetable, can you still use them??
WickedGoodDinner at 7:16PM on 10/08/09
Wow guys, thanks for some great suggestions. I got home from work and wondered if I'd had any nibbles...I should have known the SE community would have some ideas to really ponder and consider. Much better than flipping through recipes in books and online.
@CJ McD - the brussel sprouts jumped out at me immediately because I know chef has mentioned maybe starting to get some in. Unfortunately any deep fried items couldn't go on the menu as we have no fryer. When I make something like potato croquettes (as I did the other day) for the daily fish special I fry them all up and reheat for service.
Shrimp, scallops and lobster tail are all currently offered to accompany the tenderloin if the guest wishes to pay for them. We just lowered the dish's price below $30 to move product more, and I've seen at least a 40% increase in tenderloin sales. We'd want to keep that sub $30 price printed on the menu.
We also can't do a rub because of 1.) time, as all meat and fish is cut in house and 2.) we display the meat.
And yes, despite being a root vegetable we can use any type of potato. I also want to say that the owner and his family are fantastic people to work for. The son works as a runner and is a really smart kid. Non of the chef team has any ill will towards the owner, we just thought the restrictions were extremely odd considering the season.
I'm going to take a bunch of these ideas to chef on Sunday (this is my first Friday and Saturday off since April!!). Thanks again!
phenoderr at 11:49PM on 10/08/09
Polenta or couscous or pilaf--they're all easy to prep and keep warm, and they provide a nice neutral background for green, orange or red to punch up the plate.
Personally, I'd do a saute of caramelized onions and multi-colored bell peppers with mushrooms in butter with thyme on polenta with a reduction of the pan juices. Earthy, fresh and simple.
betteirene at 1:22PM on 10/09/09
Scary that you're looking to this site for advice...most of it is rubbish...
prncs79 at 1:38PM on 10/09/09
phenoderr,
In your position, I would say to mix it up a little bit, instead of a traditional starch serve it with nicely toasted ciabatta, nestled in a bed of roasted seasonal squashes.
The ciabatta will absorb all of those wonderful juices and flavors from the meat and vegetables.
If you have a local bakery that you work with, see if they can make you some ciabatta rolls that are about half the size of your plate, and then use it sort of like a trencher.
ExChefInMA
ExChefInMA at 3:07PM on 10/09/09
@ExChef - That sounds delicious. I'll definitely suggest it. And we have a full blown bakery department that makes all of the breads, cookies and desserts we use in the restaurant. We have a great focaccia that us chefs use constantly to make "roast beef" sandwiches out of from left over carpaccio.
phenoderr at 4:08PM on 10/09/09
Well, tonight was the first night with the main entree menu changes. We'd already replaced the Caesar salad with a much superior beet salad.
Luckily our chef was able to get mushrooms onto the tenderloin plate. And here's what we now have:
8oz grilled tenderloin sits on a demi sauce. Honey and olive oil whole roasted sweet potatoes, cut in half and grilled....then topped with an apple butter. Saute of green beans and sliced button mushrooms. It's a delicious dish.
The apple butter is simply shredded red delicious apples cooked until homogenous with 1 whole clove. Food milled, then robocouped. Then strained to remove seeds. Then robocouped again until it becomes butter like in texture and cooked further.
We also have a new crab cake on the menu. A dijon and green onion remoulade on the plate, topped with sauteed spinach, a 7oz crab cake, chive and onion potato cake, and saute of carrot/zucchini/caper berries.
phenoderr at 1:33AM on 10/20/09