Cat Cora Ends 2007 With a Delicious Bang

Dec. 31, 2007 — -- Are you worried about preparing a New Year's feast? Don't be. Chef Cat Cora has a decadent New Year's Eve menu for you. Get everything from the main course, a beef tenderloin, to a delicious dessert. Check out the recipe below.

Serves 8 (with a 3 ½-pound tenderloin) and 10 to 12 (with a 5-pound tenderloin)

Rub the tenderloin with salt and pepper first so that is stays on the beef. Then rub the beef with the Basque blend until well coated. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Preheat the grill and preheat the oven to 450°F.

While the beef is absorbing the rub, make the green sauce by combining the garlic, bay leaves, peppers, and sea salt in a mortar and mash with a pestle until a smooth paste is formed. (If you don't have a mortar and pestle, put all the ingredients into a blender along with just a teaspoon or so of the vinegar.) Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the parsley, oregano, and basil. Whisk in the vinegar and olive oil until well combined. Set aside.

Place the meat on the hot grill and sear on all sides until caramelized, about 20 to 25 minutes. Place the beef on a rack in a roasting pan and slide it into the hot for 20 minutes for medium-rare meat.

To serve, slice the beef into ¼-inch slices, and spoon the green sauce over the beef and serve.

"Budino" means pudding in Italian, but these are more like little molten cakes, moist and almost gooey in the middle if served warm from the oven. I use Callebaut or El Rey chocolate for this dessert but any premium chocolate will work.

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Grease or spray two 12-cup muffin tins with vegetable or canola oil. (You can also use just one tin and bake the batter in two batches.) Wipe out excess oil with a paper towel. Set the tin aside.