Corn Crusted Beef Tournedoes with Roasted Corn Sauce

This is steakhouse-meets-farmstand cooking, prime beef tournedos (the small filet medallions cut from the tenderloin) crusted with sweet summer corn and finished with a pan sauce that uses the same caramelized kernels as its base.

The technique splits the corn in two directions, half gets sauteed briefly with shallots and bound with butter and Parmesan to make the savory crust that goes on top of the steaks before they hit the oven. The other half gets cooked harder until the kernels brown and caramelize, then deglazed with beef stock and chopped tomato for the sauce.

Veal stock if you can get it, beef if you can’t. Either way that mounted-with-butter finish at the end gives the sauce a silky restaurant gloss that ties the whole plate together.

Chef Tips

• Sear the beef hard on one side only, the corn crust replaces the second sear and protects the top from drying out
• Cut corn off the cob with a sharp knife in a wide bowl to catch every kernel and the milky liquid
• Don’t overload the crust, a thin even layer cooks through in 3 minutes; thick crusts stay raw on top
• Rest the steaks 5 minutes before plating, the sauce keeps just fine on low heat

Variations

• Swap shallots for finely diced sweet onion if shallots aren’t around
• Stir a tablespoon of fresh tarragon or basil into the sauce just before serving
• Use filet mignon or thick-cut beef medallions if your butcher doesn’t carry tournedos