virginia cooking school, with recipes

Virginia Ham-Stuffed Beef Tenderloin
1 2-1/2 to 3-pound center-cut beef tenderloin roast 4 ounces lean pork sausage
1 medium leek, halved lengthwise and sliced
4 ounces Virginia ham, finely diced
1 cup spinach leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil

Horizontally cut tenderloin to, but not through, the opposite side. Open to expose cut surfaces. Cover with clear plastic wrap. Pound tenderloin with meat mallet from center to edges, making a 3/4-inch-thick 11x8-inch rectangle; set aside. In 12-inch skillet cook sausage and leek over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink, stirring to break up sausage. Drain fat. Stir in ham; heat through.

Arrange spinach on beef. Top spinach with filling. Starting from long side, roll up meat tightly into spiral. Tie at 2-1/2 inch intervals with 100 percent cotton kitchen string. [See the next four slides for technique demonstration.] Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Wipe out skillet. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; brown on all sides. Place beef on rack in shallow roasting pan. Roast in 325°F oven, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes or until desired doneness. (For medium-rare doneness, roast until internal temperature registers 135°F on an instant-read thermometer. For medium doneness, roast until 150°F.) Remove from oven; cover with foil. Let stand 10 minutes. (Meat temperature will rise about 10°F.) Transfer to cutting board; reserve pan juices.* Slice roast; arrange on serving platter. Drizzle with pan juices. Makes 6 servings.

*If no pan juices remain, add 1/2 cup dry red wine to pan, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Drizzle wine mixture over meat slices.