Beef Tenderloin with Tohono O'odham White Tepary Beans and Pomegranate Port Reduction
Serves 4
½ lb dried white tepary beans
1 anaheim chili pepper, halved seeds removed
½ large white onion, quartered
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
cold water to cover
1 cup POM pomegranate juice
1 cup ruby port wine
2 cups demi glace (optional)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp heavy cream
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 7ounce filets of beef tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
In a large pot, cover the tepary beans with cold water and bring to a boil. Strain water and recover with fresh cold water. Add the chili, onion and garlic to the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to a medium simmer for 2 to 3 hours, until water is milky and beans are very tender. Remove the vegetables and chilies.
Combine POM juice and port in a small pot. Reduce over medium heat to 1 cup. If using, add demi glace to pot and reduce by another 1/3. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. To finish sauce, bring to a boil, remove from heat and whisk in butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper.
To cook the beef, preheat the oven to 400º. Season the steaks with salt and pepper. In a sauté pan large enough to hold all four pieces of meat, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. When the oil just begins to smoke, put the beef in the pan and sear for 1 to 2 minutes, until caramelized and brown. Flip the steaks over and place in the oven. Cook in the oven for an additional 7-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.
