I made a delicious discovery while sidling up to my favorite sushi bar a while ago. These little beef tenderloin appetizers were on “special” and they were so good, they almost upstaged the Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice!
They are beef tenderloin slices, wrapped around asparagus spears. At the restaurant, they served them raw, with no sauce and they were delicious, but I decided to try cooking them a little and serving them with a variation of the sauce I use for dumplings and other Asian dishes I make at home. They’re yummy, super simple and make a great appetizer! Cheers!
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ingredients
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boil for 1 minute
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plunge in ice water
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drain on paper towels
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gently pound the slices
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sprinkle scallions on the filet
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salt, pepper and wrap
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ready for the oven
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add cilantro to the sauce
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Asian Filet/Asparagus Wraps
Ingredients
1 filet mignon, sliced very thin, lengthwise
1 bunch thick-ish asparagus, bottoms snapped off, lightly peeled and blanched
3 scallions, finely chopped – reserve some to garnsh
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
To blanch the asparagus: Prepare a deep bowl with ice and water. Bring a pot of water to a rapid boil on the stove. Place the asparagus in the water and boil for about 1 minute. Watch them carefully – you don’t want to overcook them or they’ll be soggy.  With a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the asparagus and plunge into the ice-bath. Drain on paper towels.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter. Place two or three filet mignon slices on the wrap and fold the wrap over the meat. With a meat mallet, GENTLY pound the slices, until they are about 1/8 ” thick. Sprinkle the slices with the chopped scallions and a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Place a blanched asparagus spear on a diagonal and wrap it tightly.
Place the wraps in an oven-proof casserole and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and place on the stove top. Pour the sauce over them and serve immediately. Cheers!
Ginger Cilantro Sauce
1 teaspoon Sesame oil
1 tablespoon shallot, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger, chopped
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 Cup Soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter, softened
In a saucepan, over medium heat, sauté the shallot, garlic and ginger. Add the Soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium low flame for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and add the scallions and cilantro.
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