Petite Tender Medallions with Persillade Relish
Rub thawed Petite Tender with salt and pepper, and let it rest at room temperature, ideally for an hour, while you make the Persillade Relish.
Persillade Relish
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl (or chop in a food processor):
3/4 C fresh minced parsley
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 scallion, minced
6 Tbl minced cornichons (baby dill pickles) plus 1 tsp brine
1/4 C capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped.
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 C olive oil
-Slice petite tender into 1/2″ – 3/4″ thick medallions
-Heat a skillet on the stove over med high heat. When the skillet is hot, add 2 Tbl Olive oil.
-Place medallions in the pan, flat side down. 
-Cook about 5 minutes on each side, until center is bright pink, but not red.
– Remove from heat, tent with foil (or another plate, turned upside down), and let rest for 10 minutes.
-Serve with Persillade relish
About the Petite Tender
The Petite Tender comes from the Chuck, or shoulder, of the beef. There are only 2 of this cuts per animal. Shaped like the tenderloin, this cut is much smaller than it’s better known cousin, but some say it’s almost as tender as filet mignon.
The first time I cooked a petite tender, I grilled it whole, on the grill over high heat for about 10 minutes. However, even after letting it rest for 10 minutes, it was still pretty red inside. Tasty, but a little too rare for our liking.
This time, I sliced in medallions to cook through to the center a little faster. I wanted fast heat, to preserve the tenderness, but didn’t want the meat so rare. Cooking in a skillet, instead of on the grill, kept the juices, instead of letting them drip away.
Resting and tenting your meat. Meat will continue to cook after it’s removed from the heat. Therefore, take the meat off before it’s looks like it’s done. It will also re-absorb some of those juices while it’s resting.
Relish the Relish?
I have a two-faced relationship with relishes, sauces, glazes, rubs, and marinades used with meat. I love the un-adulterated taste of a good piece of meat, cooked to perfection with only a healthy amount of salt, pepper, and maybe some garlic. Tasting only the meat. A good piece of meat, like Mirror Image Farms meat, cooked with care (hopefully these recipes help you with that) doesn’t need to be smothered in a sauce or gravy, to be enjoyed.
But I also love the concentrated flavors of, well, everything else that can be made into a relish or sauce. If you like dill pickles and garlic (like Tyler and I), this relish is might become your favorite thing. The recipe above will make much more relish than you would ever need on the petite tender. I ate the Persillade relish with my potato and broccoli, and that was a delicious addition. So take your pick: with or without relish.
Credit where due
Thanks to America’s Test Kitchen for the recipe for Persillade Relish (Please don’t ask me to pronounce ‘Persillade’)