Why is the meat beaten before cutting?

The book says to beat the piece while whole, because beating after slicing makes the meat dry.

When should the meat be salted?

After the slices have been turned in the pan. Salt draws out meat juice if the meat lies salted.

How thick should the slices be?

3 cm, cut across the grain with a sharp knife.

Steak, chateaubriand and tournedos

Steak, chateaubriand and tournedos are made from tenderloin, fillet or topside cut into 3 cm slices across the grain, tied with string and salted only in the pan. From Erken's Stor kokebok (1949), p. 201.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1949-utg. s. 201 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

The text is more a guide to handling meat than a recipe with amounts. It shows the demands on maturing, cutting and salting that the book set for its finest meat dishes.

How to make it

1
Choose the meat
The dishes can be made from tenderloin, fillet and topside. Use only tender meat that has hung long enough.
2
Beat and cut
Beat the piece of meat while it is still whole, not after it has been sliced, as that makes it dry. Give it only a couple of blows with a broad knife. Do not cut the meat up until just before frying. Cut slices 3 cm thick across the grain with a sharp knife.
3
Tie the slices
To keep the slices perfectly round, especially for tournedos, they can be tied round with thin, scalded string.
4
Fry and season
Turn the slices in the pan before sprinkling on salt and pepper. Do not leave the slices lying salted, as the salt draws out the meat juice, and wet meat cannot be fried properly.

Changes from the original

The text is rewritten as steps in modern language. The book gives no amounts, frying times or fat, and none have been added.

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Frequently asked questions

Why is the meat beaten before cutting?: The book says to beat the piece while whole, because beating after slicing makes the meat dry.
When should the meat be salted?: After the slices have been turned in the pan. Salt draws out meat juice if the meat lies salted.
How thick should the slices be?: 3 cm, cut across the grain with a sharp knife.

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