the fillet of beef is a choice piece, to pan-fry or roast. Cooking it requires certain precautions. Its meat is particularly lean, it dries out and hardens easily if its cooking is not controlled: too much heat or prolonged cooking time.

Cut into thick slices, tournedos surrounded by a bard or Chateaubriand, it must be browned over high heat and on both sides in a pan with a little fat to sear the surface and caramelize the juices to form a crust that will protect it throughout its cooking over a more moderate heat: 2 to 4 minutes per side. Then accompany it with a Béarnaise sauce or a slice of pan-fried foie gras for a Rossini tournedos.

Cooked as a roast, it must be surrounded by a bard which will protect it effectively from the heat of the oven and which you can remove 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time so that it is evenly coloured.

Also remember not to cook it straight from the fridge: leave it to come back to room temperature for a while to avoid a thermal shock during cooking, which could cause the muscle fibres to contract and harden the meat. Similarly, a short resting time under a sheet of aluminium foil will allow the meat to relax and the heat to distribute itself evenly, resulting in even more tender meat.