Bruschetta of Pan Seared Encrusted Beef Tenderloin OR Open-Faced Sandwich

Thing is, I can't come to terms as to what to call this dish. Bruschetta or an open-faced sandwich? Hmm.

So yes, we all know that a tenderloin of beef is one of the choicest cut of beef available and the cut most often used for filet mignon. Basically what I've done (or tried to do :p) is that I coated the tenderloin in mustard, dijon in this case, gave it a spice crust and seared it very briefly on all sides. This cooks the tenderloin to medium rare. If eating meat a little on the raw side is not your thing, pop the seared tenderloin into a 170-200°C for about 15-20 minutes.

So without further ado or the need for small chatter, let's get down to this recipe:

Bruschetta of Pan Seared Encrusted Tenderloin (Or Opened-Face Sandwich, whichever)
Recipe by Tan Kel Vin

(Serves 4)

- 400g beef tenderloin
- 3-4 heaped tbsp's of Dijon mustard
- Crushed black peppercorns
- Crushed coriander seeds
- Salt, loads of it
- Some olive oil
- Crusty bread like baguette or ciabatta
- Parmesan cheese (no powdered ones, get the real McCoy!)

Start off by rubbing the dijon mustard all over the tenderloin. Lay out the crushed black peppercorns, coriander seeds and salt on a chopping board or a flat surface and mix well. Lay the tenderloin which has been rubbed with the mustard on the spice mixture and coat all sides. Get a frying pan on the stove and let it get screaming hot. Add some olive oil to the pan. When the pan and oil is hot enough, place the tenderloin in the pan and sear for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from pan, let the meat rest before slicing.

Get your bread, slice into nice semi-thick slices and brush with a little olive oil. Lightly grill the slices of bread. Once the meat has rested (about 7-10 minutes), slice thinly across the grain and at an angle. Assemble; place a slice or more of beef on each slice of bread, drizzle with a little olive oil, shave a little parmesan over the slices and sprinkle with cracked black pepper.
Garnish with dressed greens such as watercress or parsley if you'd like.

Laters.