Sabana
- 1/3 cup dried black beans, washed and picked over
- 2 cups water
- 3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
- 1/2 onion, diced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 (8-ounce) beef tenderloin fillets
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
- 3 red jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded and julienned
- Juice of 1 lime
- Place the beans and water in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until soft throughout, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat.
- Fry the bacon in a medium skillet over low heat until golden.
- Spoon off excess fat.
- Add the onion and saute until lightly golden.
- Add the beans with their liquid, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Cook for 2 minutes longer.
- The mixture should remain thin and soupy.
- Keep warm.
- This may be prepared a day or 2 in advance and refrigerated.
- Reheat before serving.
- To flatten the steaks, coat four 15 x 12-inch sheets of plastic or parchment paper with 1/2 teaspoon of the oil each.
- Sandwich each tenderloin, with the grain running vertically, between two sheets (with the oiled side facing the meat).
- Flatten each one with the flat side of a heavy cleaver or mallet, using steady even sweeping strokes from the center out as you would roll pie dough, until the steak is a thin oval of about 14 x 10 inches.
- It will take about 5 minutes per steak.
- Preheat a lightly oiled very large nonstick skillet or cast iron pan.
- Peel the paper off the steaks and season all over with salt and pepper.
- Sear, one at a time, in the hot pan 30 to 40 seconds per side.
- Coat each of two large serving plates (platters would be great) with the warm bean mixture.
- Top each with a hot steak.
- Prepare the garnish by melting the butter in a small hot skillet over medium-high heat.
- Saute the scallions and jalapenos with salt and pepper to taste and the lime juice for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle over the steaks.
- Serve immediately.
black beans, water, bacon, onion, salt, beef tenderloin, vegetable oil, unsalted butter, scallions, chiles, lime
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sabana-recipe.html (may not work)