Beef Fillet with Pesto

Ingredients

• 750 g beef fillet (center cut, ready to cook)
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 5 slices bacon
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 100 ml dry red wine
• 200 ml veal stock
• Salt
• 1 handful parsley
• 1 Garlic clove
• 2 Tbsp blanched almonds
• 20 g Parmesan cheese
• 70 ml Olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 140 °C (275 °F) with both top and bottom heat.

2. 2.

   Wash the meat, pat it dry, trim it, and season with pepper. Then wrap it in bacon and sear it in hot oil in a pan on all sides. Place it on a rack in the oven (with a fat pan underneath) and cook for about 20–25 minutes depending on thickness and desired doneness (internal temperature pink: 55–60 °C).

3. 3.

   Deglaze the pan drippings with red wine for the sauce. Add the veal stock and reduce everything to about a quarter of its volume. Season with salt and pepper.

4. 4.

   For the pesto, rinse the parsley, shake it dry, pick off leaves, and put them in a blender. Peel the garlic, add it, and blend with almonds and parmesan. While blending, slowly pour in the olive oil until a creamy paste forms. Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

5. 5.

   Remove the meat from the oven, wrap it in foil and let it rest for about 8 minutes. Then slice it into portions and serve with pesto, the pan sauce, optionally butter‑sautéed beans, and potato gratin.