Recipe

Pesto Beef Fillet

A delicious way to serve beef fillet, cooked to how you like it (rare, medium or well done) and served with a rich pesto sauce and fresh grated vegetables including beetroot, which adds a healthy touch. Roast the beef in the oven or cook on the barbecue for a slightly charcoal, smokey touch.

If you wish to make your own pesto, try my recipe via this link  Pesto Sauce

6
Beef - marinade 2 days
Beef 15-20 mins. Other: 30 mins
180º C

Ingredients

  • 1 x 1.2 - 1.5 kg beef fillet
    - trimmed
  • Pesto sauce
    - homemade or commercial
  • Marinade:
  • 9 fl oz soya sauce
  • 9 fl oz cider vinegar
  • 1 red chilli
  • 6 cloves of garlic
    - paper skin removed
  • Salad:
  • 6 cucumbers
    - washed and peeled
  • 6 carrots
    - washed, peeled and grated
  • 1 large beetroot
    - washed, peeled and grated
  • Salad Dressing:
  • ¼ cup mustard seeds + 1 tbsp
  • 5 fl oz cider vinegar
  • 12 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Prepare marinade for the beef:
  • 01 Place soya sauce, cider vinegar, garlic and chilli in a food processor and blend to a fine consistency.
  • 02 Lay beef in a long airtight container pour the marinade over the top, cover and place in the fridge. Every 12 hours turn the beef in the marinade and keep in the fridge for 2 days. Prior to roasting remove from marinade, dry with a cloth, splash with olive oil and scatter surface with 1 tbsp of mustard seeds.
  • Make the salad dressing:
  • 03 Place garlic, mustard seed, cider vinegar, salt, sugar, black pepper and olive oil in a food processor. Blend and pour into a container and reserve for later.
  • Cook:
  • 04 Roast beef fillet in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes depending on how rare you like your beef. Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving.
  • Salad:
  • 05 During this time prepare the salad ingredients: peel and grate the carrot, cucumber and beetroot – leaving this to last. Combine in a mixing bowl with plenty of dressing. Reserve or place in a serving bowl.
  • To serve:
  • 06 Serve the roasted beef in thick slices on top of the salad, with a heavy dollop of pesto sauce plus a little extra dressing to flood the plate. Delicious!

Notes

Beef can be marinated for up to 1 week. Beef can also be cut into individual pieces and grilled or pan fried rather than roasted, though I find roasting so easy and just as effective. I grate all the salad vegetables in the food processor, so easy, and I leave the beetroot to last to prevent the juices from staining everything!

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