Bacon-Wrapped Filets
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Inspired by Francis Mallmann’s Seven Fires</strong></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">This elegant Argentine-style preparation features tender beef filets wrapped in bacon and fresh sage, creating a stunning presentation with bold, rustic flavors. The technique is all about achieving perfectly crisped bacon while cooking the beef to medium-rare perfection.</p>
<h4 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold">The Dish</h4>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Each 5-ounce filet is encircled with a strip of blanched bacon studded with four fresh sage leaves, tied securely to create compact tournedos. The blanching step ensures the bacon renders properly without becoming overly smoky or tough. The cooking method is distinctive—you’ll stand the tournedos on their sides on a screaming-hot cast-iron skillet or chapa, allowing the bacon to char and crisp completely around the circumference before finishing the flat surfaces of the meat.</p>
<h4 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold">Cooking Technique</h4>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The high-heat searing creates a beautifully charred bacon crust while the sage releases its aromatic oils, infusing the beef with herbaceous flavor. By cooking the bacon wrapper first (rotating through four sides), you ensure it’s rendered and crispy by the time the interior of the beef reaches the ideal medium-rare doneness. A brief rest allows the juices to redistribute before serving.</p>
<h4 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold">Final Result</h4>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">This recipe delivers restaurant-quality tournedos with a dramatic presentation—each portion features a golden-brown bacon crown embedded with darkened sage leaves, encasing perfectly cooked beef that’s crusty on the outside and tender within. It’s a technique-driven dish that rewards attention to timing and temperature, producing steaks with exceptional texture contrast and layered savory flavors.</p>
Cook Time:
00:20
Prep Time:
00:15
Servings:
4
Ingredients
4 Strips
Slab Bacon
Cut 1/8" thick and an 1" wide
4
5oz Beef Filets
Cut 1" thick
16
Fresh Sage Leaves
Coarse Salt
To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
To Taste
Instructions
1
Place the bacon in a saucepan with 4 cups cold water, bring to a simmer, and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
2
Pat the tournedos dry. Wrap a strip of bacon around the circumference of each, evenly spacing 4 sage leaves in each bundle. Tie with kitchen string.
3
Heat a chapa or large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it starts to smoke and a drop of water sizzles on the surface.
Sprinkle the tournedos with salt and pepper and stand them on their sides on the hot surface, so that the bacon is in contact with the hot pan. Cook, without moving them, for 11⁄2 to 2 minutes, until the bacon is well charred.
4
Rotate the tournedos a quarter turn and cook until the bacon is crisped, then repeat two more times so the bacon is nicely crisped all around.
5
Turn the tournedos to their flat sides and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare.
6
Transfer to a platter and let rest for 3 minutes. Remove the string, and serve the steak.