Roasted Filet of Beef with Mustard and Herb Crust with Roasted Vegtables

Ah, Christmas dinner - the "big show" of culinary events. Our family (read - my mom and I) begins discussing the holiday meal about 10 minutes after the Thanksgiving turkey has been picked apart and stowed in the fridge. There are magazines to pour over, sites to visit and a strategy must be built. We have lots of planning to do.

My mom and I have been cooking holiday meals together for more than 20 years. Even if she had to work at the hospital, we would talk about what to make, when it goes in, and I would help my dad put it all together when I was too little to do it myself. We've really come a long way in the past 10 years or so. We can dance around the kitchen, spooning this, stirring that, serving up something else with little communication. Even as we talk less we seem to say more to each other. I really cherish the days I've spent with my mom in the kitchen.

For the last several years we've done a Standing Rib Roast with a variety of sides for Christmas dinner. I had high hopes that this year we would mix things up, but we had a "primary beef" eater in the house, so back we went. It's not that I don't love a good roast. But there are so many different things to try! But, we made some strategic decisions - most importantly no giant piece of meat - which helped make this holiday meal just a little different.

I liked this recipe for a couple of reasons. First, it cooks pretty quick. In an hour you can go from nothing done, to sitting down to eat. Plus, the crust makes a great sauce for the vegetables roasting along side the meat. Make sure you have a really hot pan when you sear the meat. This will help keep the juices inside leaving you tender, even butter like steaks. Plus, you cook the vegetables right along side of the meat - just give them a quick start by boiling them for a few minutes first so they are sure to cook through and brown in the oven. Honestly, I haven't cooked this little for a holiday meal in years - and it was one of the best presents I got.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. dried savory, finely crumbled
1 Tbs. dried thyme, finely crumbled
1 whole filet of beef (7 to 8 lb. untrimmed or 5 to 6 lb. trimmed)
Vegetable oil for sautéing
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 to 5 medium potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 medium carrots, peeled, cut into thirds, and then quarters
1 lb. brussel sprouts - bottoms trimmed, any brown leaves discarded, quartered
2 tbs olive oil
6 sprigs of thyme
2 tbs. butter

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, olive oil, savory, and thyme.

Trim the meat of excess fat. Tie the roast together at 2-inch intervals to secure the meat. Let the meat sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, cut up the vegetables, starting with the potatoes. Starting with the potatoes, put them into a large pot and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes for about 5 minutes once the water comes to a boil. Remove the potatoes and set into another bowl. Add the carrots and brussel sprouts to the boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the water and add them to the potatoes. Toss the vegetables with 2 tbs. of olive oil and the leaves from the 6 thyme sprigs. Set to the side.

Heat the oven to 450°F. Heat a heavy-duty roasting pan or large Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat - we actually used the same roasting pan that we put in the oven since it was all we had that was large enough. Pour in enough vegetable oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Pat the filet dry, salt and pepper generously, and lay in the pan; cook without disturbing until the bottoms are a rich brown. Turn the beef and sear the other sides. It will take about 4 min. per side (there are three or four sides per roast) to get a good sear.

When the filet has been seared, transfer to a cutting board, brush with the mustard and herb mix, and then generously grind fresh pepper over the filet. Put a rack in the roasting pan, lay the meat on the rack. Add the vegetables along side of the meat. Add 2 tbs. of butter to the bottom of the pan if you would like, but there should be left over oil from searing the meat. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 120°F for medium rare, about 20-30 min. (Check after 15 minutes; roasting time will vary depending on searing time.) Remove the filet from the oven and let rest in a warm spot for at least 15 minutes before slicing - this is very important! Keep the vegetables in the pan until you are ready to serve them. Slice into steaks - serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!