Before setting the fillet on the dish or on the cushion of rice, it is well to cut a slice one-fifth inch thick from the whole of its base; leave this slice under the fillet when dishing; by this means, when the carving is proceeded with, each slice will be found to be neatly trimmed.
Cold fillet of beef allows of every possible cold vegetable garnish.
The vegetables should be cooked with the greatest care and be left to cool naturally.
When they are quite cold, either cohere them by means of jelly, or set them round the fillet in neat heaps, taking care to alternate their shades, and coat them with almost melted aspic.
Finally, between each heap of vegetables lay a little chopped and very clear aspic, and, round the whole, arrange a border consisting of bits of aspic (round, oval, square, lozenge-shaped, &c.) very regularly cut.
I see no reason for devoting any further space to this subject. What has been said should, I think, suffice to show how varied and numerous are the possible ways of dishing cold fillet of beef, the minute details of which may, with advantage, be left to the ingenuity of the operator.
FILLET OF BEEF FOR ENTRÉES
[1076—CHÂTEAUBRIAND, FILLET STEAK, TOURNEDOS]
By fillet steaks are understood those pieces of meat cut laterally from the thickest part of the fillet of beef.
They ought to be about one and one-half inches thick, and weigh from six to seven oz. Tournedos are half-fillets in respect of their weight, and might well be called the “kernels” of the fillet of beef. The usual thickness of a tournedos is about one and one-quarter inches, and they should be cut to a nice, round shape. With the object of preserving their shape, they may be tied round with string.