Steve’s 70th: When Going All Out Means Staying In
Written by Marie, Posted in Miscellaneous
In the Nygren family, our lives revolve around restaurants. I grew up in them, Steve owned a slew of them and now we oversee a few at Serenbe. They’re where we have meetings, catch up with friends and experience local cuisine whenever we travel. So for us, a special meal is a home cooked meal. And when I asked Steve how he wanted to celebrate his 70thbirthday, it came as no surprise that he asked for a family dinner at home.
The secret to a special birthday celebration is to shower the guest of honor with love. Sounds simple, but so many get sidetracked by tablescapes, cakes and whether or not the bathroom sink is clean. What’s important is that everyone is together and Steve was thrilled that all three girls (and their respective men) were around the table.
Technically, Matt was in the kitchen with me making profiteroles with ice cream and chocolate sauce, Caesar salad, roasted Brussels sprouts, pomme frites, béarnaise and roasted beef tenderloin. Here’s another secret: a great tenderloin starts with ground porcini powder. Get a good, grass-fed piece of meat that’s been cleaned well by a butcher, rub it with olive oil and generous amounts of porcini powder, kosher salt and pepper.
Matt also made a pate de foie gras that paired nicely with the Champagne we used to toast Steve. I started by talking about my love and admiration of him then the chain of toasts spontaneously went around the room to the small group of friends and family.
We each said what was in our heart and Karen Fitzgerald, who Steve and I consider our adopted sister, gave him three metaphorical gifts in the theme of him being a man of vision: binoculars for his ability to see long-range; a lamp because he shows others the way and a small painting of the third eye, for his internal sight.
We all bring gifts to the table. Some bring food, others bring gifts or words. That night, we all brought ourselves—our full, present selves—and the older you get, the more you realize that’s enough.
Roasted Filet or Tenderloin of Beef – High Temperature Method
Adapted from Joy of Cooking
10 to 12 servings
If roasted less than a whole tenderloin, buy a piece from the butt, or thicker, end. The roasting time will be about the same as for a whole tenderloin. Be sure to use a shallow roasting pan just big enough for the filet.
Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. lightly oil a roasting pan.
Pat dry:
- 1 filet of beef (about 5 pounds) well trimmed and tied
Mix together and rub entire surface with:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or softened butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground porcini powder
Place the tenderloin in the roasting pan and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 120 degrees F for rare, 125 to 130 degrees F for medium-rare, or 125 to 140 degrees F for medium — 25-45 minutes. The temperature will continue to rise 5 to 10 degrees out of the oven. Cover the roast loosely with aluminum foil and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the strings and cut the tenderloin into 1/2-inch slices.
