Filetto al Barolo: Fit for a King
Need a meal that can come together in 30 minutes or less, and seems so flavorful and elegant it is surprising in just how easy it is? Great for a date night or to treat yourself with a good book, this Filetto al Barolo, or beef filet with Barolo, is your answer. Here, simple ingredients pair with a bold wine to create a harmonious and sophisticated dish that is sure to impress. If you need a refresher on Barolo wine, check out Chef Jacqueline’s previous article all about this red wine King of Italy!
Filetto, or beef tenderloin, ready to be cooked with Barolo for a delicious and quick elegant meal.
Tips and Tricks for Filetto al Barolo
Filetto is known also as beef tenderloin, and the highly prized filet mignon cut comes from it; filet mignon is just the tail end of the tenderloin trimmed down. This recipe can be used with tenderloin ‘steaks’ (as pictured to the right), with bocconcini (smaller bite sized pieces of tenderloin), or the famous filet mignon as well.
One of the keys in this recipe for cooking a beef filet with Barolo, is to not overcook the meat. This keeps the tender filet juicy and flavorful, adding enough cooking juices to the sauce, but without sacrificing the consistency of the filet. If, while cooking, you added a little too much wine or broth, or after tasting decide that you need a touch more wine, don’t be afraid to remove the filet from the pan, set it aside, and cook your liquid down. Add the filet back at the last minute just enough for a flip or two to coat it well in your sauce. Thanks to dredging the filet in flour, the sauce will naturally thicken during cooking, if it is watery or to liquid, you have too much broth or wine. A good consistency for your sauce should be fluid enough to pour, yet thick enough to stick slightly to your filet.
Why Barolo?
When working with wine in a dish, one must think about not only the inherent flavors of the wine, but also what will those flavors add to the dish? For example, take Aldo Clerico’s Barolo composed of nebbiolo grapes from 5 of his different vineyards around Monforte d’Alba, as he says, a classic Barolo like this will give you even flavors. However, get a real taste of the Langhe by choosing either Aldo’s Barolo Serralunga d’Alba or Barolo Ginestra that are both single vineyard Barolos. With more distinct characteristics from their vineyards and areas of Barolo they add a whole different dimension to your pairing.
Filetto al Barolo ready to enjoy with a glass of one of Aldo Clerico’s Barolos from the Langhe in Piedmont, Italy.
While it is true that most red wines will work well with this cooking method or as a substitute for Barolo in this recipe, Vero Chef Jacqueline recommends using Barolo, or picking a similarly bold, flavorful wine. This adds an extra complexity and deep beautiful color to the final cooked filet as well as the sauce served over it. The complex wine, combined with the buttery base mixed with the cooking juices, all meld and mesh to create a delicious reduction sauce. We recommend serving this filetto with a side like potatoes or polenta in order to soak up all the remaining sauce in the skillet and on your plate! Go ahead, too, and get in there for a little scarpetta as the Italians say and wipe the last remnants of sauce up with a piece of bread, trust us, it’s worth it.
Watch Chef Jacqueline Prepare this Dish Live with Winemaker Aldo Clerico
Chef Jacqueline created the Filetto al Barolo recipe below for you to try with any of Aldo Clerico’s Barolos which you can buy online from us or get at several stores around the country. Aldo makes 3 types of Barolos, a Barolo from vineyards around his house, Barolo Ginestra, a sought after Cru from his wife’s, Valentina Conterno’s, family vineyard, and Barolo Serralunga d’Alba, an area known for its oldest soil in the Barolo wine region.
Chef Jacqueline will be showing us how to make Risotto all'Aldo Clerico from last week's article, this Filetto al Barolo, plus a third and secret recipe live from the trattoria where she works in Piedmont, Italy.
Buy Aldo’s wines and join us on Feb 20th for the live demonstration of this dish along with Aldo Clerico. Register for free on Zoom today.
Filetto al Barolo - Beef Filet with Barolo
Cooking and Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Portions: 2 portions
Ingredients:
2 Beef Filets cut as steaks approx. 1 inch thick (or beef tenderloin steaks)
Flour (for dredging)
1 tablespoon Butter
1/3 - 1/2 cup Barolo Wine
¼ - ½ cup Broth
Salt, to taste
Suggested Wine Pairings
Aldo Clerico’s Barolos: Barolo - Serralunga Barolo - Barolo Ginestra
Procedure:
1. Lightly dredge each beef filet in the flour, and melt the butter in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
2. When the butter is melted, gently place the filets in the skillet and salt one side, flipping after approximately 1-2 minutes, or when it has just started to brown, and salt the second side.
3. Carefully add the Barolo wine to the skillet, and let it simmer and cook down, flipping the filet once. Once the wine has cooked off, add some broth.
4. Continue to cook, flipping occasionally to ensure an even cook, or adding a touch more broth if necessary, until done. Best served at medium rare, or 135 degrees F.
5. When cooked, remove from the skillet and let rest 2-3 minutes. Serve in slices or whole with a drizzle of the sauce from the skillet over the top.
N.B. This recipe is courtesy of Trattoria Risorgimento in Treiso, Italy.
Shop Barolos from Aldo Clerico for Your Filetto al Barolo
This is one of the best Barolo wines from the Langhe in Piedmont Italy as well as a great value from one of the storied families of Barolo wineries. This Barolo red wine is the maximum expression of the nebbiolo grape from Aldo Clerico. With vineyards right next to those of Domenico Clerico Barolo vineyards, this Barolo is a good substitute for Burgundy wine.
This garnet colored artisan Barolo has red fruit, rose and spicy leather and tea leaf aromas with elegant structure, long finish leaving a silky mouthfeel. On the nose it is very intense while floral notes mix with typical vineyard scents of violets and red berries. On the palate, the violets blend with licorice flavors and noticeable tannins. A creamy texture from the oak barrels creates a pleasant mix of fresh yet complex flavors.
Tastes Like: Cherries and licorice
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | Single Vineyard
Fun Facts: This is Aldo's first wine made from 5 different Barolo designated vineyards surrounding his home in Monforte d'Alba, all within the Bricco San Pietro MGA. He vinifies each vineyard and then does an assemblage, creating each vintage a unique expression of his nebbiolo vineyards. It is also made with native yeast fermentation, so can be called a natural wine.
Made with native yeast fermentation, this Barolo Serralunga is a special natural wine. Rich on the nose with dried violets typical of the nebbiolo grape, the bouquet is austere and profound with balsamic notes. Once sipped, the earthy texture is out of this world, which marries pleasantly with the structure, fruit and spice of this elegant red. Well accented tannins are soft and decanting is strongly recommended.
Tastes Like: Earthy Spices
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | Single Vineyard
Fun Facts: This is a single vineyard Barolo from the Serralunga d'Alba village, known to produce the most age worthy Barolos.
Made from the sought-after Ginestra Barolo Cru, this single vineyard wine epitomizes the greatness of the nebbiolo grape from the Barolo wine region, in terms of structure, age-worthiness and fruit expression. The native yeast fermentation used in making this natural wine also helps bring out the special and sought after terroir of the Ginestra cru.
An intense garnet color, on the nose this Barolo tends towards red fruits, with a touch of balsamic notes. As it opens on the palate the elegant tannins harmonize with the acidity for an overall richness that creates a pleasant and enjoyable experience while sipping alone or with food.
Tastes Like: Balsamic Tabacco leaves
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | Single Vineyard
Fun Facts: The Ginestra cru is very limited and only a few wineries have access to harvest from there. Aldo can thanks to his wife’s, Valentina’s, Conterno family vineyards.
Fun Facts: The hands on the bottle represent Aldo’s two daughters; for this reason he often says this is the wine closest to his heart.
