Beef with Three-Chile Butter (Medallones de Filete con Mantequilla de Tres Chiles)
The Guajillo (wha-hee-oh) chile is the most common dried chile in Mexico after the Ancho. The flavor of the Guajillo is distinct, slightly fruity with a strong piney, berry under taste. Guajillo flavors dished easily so a little goes a long way. This chile is between a 2-4 on the heat scale of 1-10. Guajillo, combined with the Passilla and Ancho, form the holy trinity of chiles used to prepare the traditional mole sauces.
Suggested Use:
A mildly hot chile. Use in sauces, salsa, soups and your favorite chile. A little goes a long way.
Ingredients:
2 dried guajillo chiles
2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 shallots, chopped
2 whole chipotle chiles (from can), drained, stemmed, seeded, sliced
1 cup water
2 Tbs chopped fresh chives
1 3-pound beef tenderloin roast
6 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
Instructions:
Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add guajillo and ancho chile slices. Toast until fragrant and beginning to darken, stirring often, about 30 seconds. Add butter, shallots, and chipotle chiles. Stir just until chiles are coated with butter and shallots begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup water and simmer until dried chiles are soft and all water has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Mix in chives and season with salt.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat beef with 3 tablespoons oil, salt, and pepper, then parsley. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add beef and sear until brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer skillet with beef to oven. Roast until meat thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 125F for medium-rare, about 30 minutes. Let beef stand 10 minutes.
Cut beef into 1/2 inch thick slices. Spoon chile butter over and serve.
Serves 6.
From Bon Appetit magazine.