I would like to introduce you to the new ingredient we will use this week, tasso. Tasso is pronounced (pronounced “tah-so”) is a spicy-hot Cajun cured pork. Although it's often referred to as “tasso ham,” the use of the work “ham” is technically incorrect, since tasso is made from the shoulder of the pig, not the hind leg.
The pork shoulder is often brined in a salt-sugar solution as the initial part of the process.
The second part of preparing the tasso ham is rubbing it with Cajun spices. This gives the ham a spicy rind and a covering for the smoking process. Then it is hot-smoked for a couple of days. The meat is usually chopped and added to beans, eggs, pastas, collard greens, potatoes and Cajun or Creole specialties to add depth of flavor.
- 4 cups veal stock
- 2 large yellow onions
- 1/2 lb. fresh white mushrooms
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Sea salt and white pepper
- 2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup red wind
- 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons truffle oil
For the marchand de vin
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons each finely diced shallots and fresh mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons finely diced tasso
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup finely chopped green (spring) onions
- 4 filet mignon steaks, each about 1 1/2 inches thick
- Corn oil
- Black pepper and cayenne pepper
1. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the veal stock to a boil and cook until reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. Thinly slice the onions. Wipe the mushrooms clean, then thinly slice. In a large saute pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and mushrooms and saute, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender and browned and the mushrooms are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and white pepper, cover, and keep warm over low heat.
3. Peel the potatoes. In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the potatoes with water to cover. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and cook until tender when pierced with a fork, 15-20 minutes. Just before the potatoes are ready, in a small saucepan, heat the buttermilk just until small bubbles appear around the edge of the pan; remove from the heat and keep warm.
4. Drain the potatoes and pass them through a potato rice held over the saucepan, or return them to the saucepan and mash until smooth with a potato masher. Add the hot buttermilk, sour cream, butter, and truffle oil and stir to mix well. Season to taste with salt and white pepper, cover, and keep warm over low heat.
5. To make the marchand de vin, in a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots, mushrooms, and tasso and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots have softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes longer. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to dislodge any browned bits from the pan bottom. Continue cooking until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Pour in the reduced veal stock and heat briefly to blend the flavors. Just before serving, add the green onions and season to taste with salt and white pepper.
6. To cook the steaks, coat them evenly with corn oil and season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Preheat a large stove-top grill pan over medium-high heat. Place the steaks on the pan and cook, turning once, for 4-5 minutes on each side for medium, or until done to your liking.
7. To serve, spoon the mashed potatoes into the center of warmed individual plates. Place a steak on top of the potatoes and spoon the onions and mushrooms on top. Drizzle the sauce around the perimeter of each plate and serve at once.
Serve with a full-bodied California Cabernet Sauvignon.
I hope you enjoy, and until next time. Bona Petite.
