Planning Christmas dinner

[food4thot]

Have been thinking whole beef tenderloin on the rotisserie with some cherry wood, and king crab legs.

Have dried morels in the freezer. Know I can mix them into a great hollandaise sauce.

My issue will always be gravy. Screw it up every time. Not that it would be needed with the hollandaise. My lack of gravy-making skills haunt me during the holidays.

A penny for any beef-morel gravy recipe with explicit instructions...

 

[aawa]

This is the recipe I use as a guide when doing a beef gravy.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/219091/chef-johns-mushroom-gravy/

 

[sleebus.jones]

The path to righteousness for gravy goes straight through making a roux. If you really want to see people faint, make it in a microwave.

 

[bbqwizard]

You can adapt this recipe to better suit the beef. Use beef stock in place of turkey, and saute the morels first then add them in. Since the morels are dried, I would rehydrate them in the stock to intensify the flavor..

Roasted Garlic Gravy​

​

[FONT=&quot]Ingredients [/FONT]
1 head garlic (medium-to-large-sized), peeled, stems removed
4 tablespoons brown rice flour
1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon olive oil
2 cups chicken or turkey stock (Use beef if you like)

4 -6 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce or to taste
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
[FONT=&quot]Directions[/FONT]

1. [FONT=&quot]Place the garlic cloves in a small oven safe dish or pan and coat them with a teaspoon of oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and put it into a preheated 350 degree oven until the outside is golden brown and soft about 25-30 minutes [/FONT]
2. [FONT=&quot]Allow the roasted garlic to cool. Then Mash the garlic with a fork and set aside. [/FONT]
3. [FONT=&quot]Toast the flour in a medium-sized sauce pan, over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant but NOT browned. Vigorously stir in the remaining one tablespoon of oil, and garlic, with a wire whisk and cook for a couple of minutes on low heat, stirring often, making a roux. [/FONT]
4. [FONT=&quot]Whisk in the stock, soy sauce, and herbs, stirring till fairly smooth (There will probably still be chunks of garlic) Simmer the gravy for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot. If a smoother texture is desired, place the mixture into a blender or food processor (caution! Leave the lid stighly open to allow steam to escape while blending). You may also just strain it through a fine sieve.[/FONT]

 

[PatAttack]

With tenderloin, I've always used a heavy cream red wine sauce.

Usually, two cups of a good red wine, two cups of heavy cream and a couple of Tbs. of good black peppercorns. Let reduce way down to thicken up and spoon over tenderloin.

You can certainly saute' your morels and add to the sauce!

 

[cowgirl]

Your menu sounds great! Thanks for giving me ideas. :grin:

 

[food4thot]

With tenderloin, I've always used a heavy cream red wine sauce.

Usually, two cups of a good red wine, two cups of heavy cream and a couple of Tbs. of good black peppercorns. Let reduce way down to thicken up and spoon over tenderloin.

You can certainly saute' your morels and add to the sauce!

That sounds really good. Have a bag of organic black peppercorns. Slightly crack or leave them whole? Strain them out?

Only reason was thinking about a traditional gravy was because I was considering roasted garlic mashed potatoes. A little more thought has made me decide to skip the garlic taters. Want the morels to sing on their own. Think I'll do the KISS method...wrap some baking russets in foil and throw them in the coals before putting the tenderloin on the spit.

Will rehydrate the morels in veggie stock, allowing them to be added to both the hollandaise and your suggestion. The hollandaise is not a given at this point.

 

[food4thot]

Your menu sounds great! Thanks for giving me ideas. :grin:

You're welcome!

Please post pics of whatever you make, if you have time, because you always do things great!

 

[mchar69]

because you always do things great!

COWGIRL - Making America Great Again!! ha ha -

Meathead (amazingribs.com) has a beef gravy recipe that is high on Rosemary -
it is excellent, but if I make it this year I will be scaling back the herbs...
just way too herby, yet excellent at the same time.

 

[food4thot]

COWGIRL - Making America Great Again!! ha ha -

Meathead (amazingribs.com) has a beef gravy recipe that is high on Rosemary -
it is excellent, but if I make it this year I will be scaling back the herbs...
just way too herby, yet excellent at the same time.

cowgirl needs her own TV show, even if it cuts into her fishing time for a couple months a year :wink:

 

[smoke ninja]

Wow. This is the makings of the official gravy thread.

 

[food4thot]

Wow. This is the makings of the official gravy thread.

There's a poster here that I have not seen post in a while. Can't remember his name. Has Weber kettles of many vintages. Lives on the West Coast, I think.

Asked about making gravy from drippings in a grill catch pan because had tried many times but the stuff in the pan was always nothing but char. He pointed out (with pictures) the catch pan needs to be filled with water and covered with foil, depressed in the center to catch drippings without them burning off. One of the best lessons I've learned on this board.

 

[smoke ninja]

There's a poster here that I have not seen post in a while. Can't remember his name. Has Weber kettles of many vintages. Lives on the West Coast, I think.

Asked about making gravy from drippings in a grill catch pan because had tried many times but the stuff in the pan was always nothing but char. He pointed out (with pictures) the catch pan needs to be filled with water and covered with foil, depressed in the center to catch drippings without them burning off. One of the best lessons I've learned on this board.

Sounds like 1buckie?

 

[PatAttack]

That sounds really good. Have a bag of organic black peppercorns. Slightly crack or leave them whole? Strain them out?

Only reason was thinking about a traditional gravy was because I was considering roasted garlic mashed potatoes. A little more thought has made me decide to skip the garlic taters. Want the morels to sing on their own. Think I'll do the KISS method...wrap some baking russets in foil and throw them in the coals before putting the tenderloin on the spit.

Will rehydrate the morels in veggie stock, allowing them to be added to both the hollandaise and your suggestion. The hollandaise is not a given at this point.

Definitely leave them whole and strain. It's a great sauce. If you want less wine flavor, go with 2 to 1 heavy cream to red wine.

 

[Mikhail]

I don't actually make a morel gravy, but I do make a sauce which is one of the Five Best Things I Have Ever Eaten:


Serve with a great pinot noir.

4 veal chops
4-6 ounces fresh morel mushrooms
1/4 cup shallots, chopped
1 tbsp thyme leaves
3 tbsps butter
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup brown veal stock
1/2 cup whipping cream (I don't add this.. it really is better without it, just use a little more stock, wine and butter)
salt and pepper to taste


METHOD:
Carefully wash the morels in cold water. Remove and dry thoroughly. Leave them whole if they are small, cut them up if they are large. In a small sauté pan, melt butter over a medium-high heat. Add shallots and thyme leaves and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Deglaze with white wine, then add veal stock. Reduce to 1/2 volume and season to taste using salt and pepper. Add cream and continue to cook until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Heat your grill according to manufacturer's directions until coals are white hot. You might wish to add a handful of your favorite smoke wood. Season the chops well with salt and pepper. Grill to your desired doneness. Chops should cook 3-5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Serve with a generous portion of morel sauce.

This recipe is on the internet, using dried morels (fresh are WAY better), at:

http://www.jfolse.com/recipes/meats/beef02.htm

 

[food4thot]

Sounds like 1buckie?

Yep, that's him. Haven't seen him around here in a while.

 

[food4thot]

Definitely leave them whole and strain. It's a great sauce. If you want less wine flavor, go with 2 to 1 heavy cream to red wine.

Thanks. Will definitely go lighter on the wine because I don't want to overpower the morels.

 

[food4thot]

I don't actually make a morel gravy, but I do make a sauce which is one of the Five Best Things I Have Ever Eaten:


Serve with a great pinot noir.

4 veal chops
4-6 ounces fresh morel mushrooms
1/4 cup shallots, chopped
1 tbsp thyme leaves
3 tbsps butter
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup brown veal stock
1/2 cup whipping cream (I don't add this.. it really is better without it, just use a little more stock, wine and butter)
salt and pepper to taste


METHOD:
Carefully wash the morels in cold water. Remove and dry thoroughly. Leave them whole if they are small, cut them up if they are large. In a small sauté pan, melt butter over a medium-high heat. Add shallots and thyme leaves and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Deglaze with white wine, then add veal stock. Reduce to 1/2 volume and season to taste using salt and pepper. Add cream and continue to cook until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Heat your grill according to manufacturer's directions until coals are white hot. You might wish to add a handful of your favorite smoke wood. Season the chops well with salt and pepper. Grill to your desired doneness. Chops should cook 3-5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Serve with a generous portion of morel sauce.

This recipe is on the internet, using dried morels (fresh are WAY better), at:

http://www.jfolse.com/recipes/meats/beef02.htm

Thanks. Sounds great.

Will take your word on the fresh morels and keep the recipe for May, when they pop up around here.

 

[food4thot]

With tenderloin, I've always used a heavy cream red wine sauce.

Usually, two cups of a good red wine, two cups of heavy cream and a couple of Tbs. of good black peppercorns. Let reduce way down to thicken up and spoon over tenderloin.

You can certainly saute' your morels and add to the sauce!

Sauce was a winner! Went about 4:1 cream to wine and added some sprigs of fresh thyme. Rehydrated the morels in warm beef stock, sauteed, chopped, and added to the sauce after straining and putting back on low heat.

Thanks!