Made from the softest piece of beef tenderloin, châteaubriand (alternative spelling: chateaubriand) is a true aristocrat of French cuisine. Carefully seasoned and grilled meat is cut into slices and served with either chateaubriand or béarnaise sauce and potatoes, but the name chateaubriand may also refer to the above-mentioned piece of meat. Beef tenderloin is trimmed on both sides so only the central, juiciest part remains. This part usually weighs between 350 and 500 grams, so the recipe generally serves two. The meat is seasoned with olive oil, ground pepper and BAESURIS® SEA SALT and grilled briefly on high, and then on medium temperature so it preserves its juices and remains pink on the inside. 

This simple, yet sophisticated dish owes its name to a French writer and statesman François-René, Vicomte de Chateaubriand (1768-1848) whose chef Montmirail allegedly invented this dish in 1822, while Vicomte de Chateaubriand served as a French ambassador in London. Originally, the recipe required steak cut from the sirloin instead of tenderloin, and the meat was served with a reduced sauce made from white wine, shallots, démi-glace, butter, tarragon and lemon juice. Montmirail’s invention was placing the steak between two slices of beef before grilling, which was quite frowned-upon among the people who considered this act to be elitist, not to say wasteful. The original recipe also suggested serving this dish with pommes soufflées — potato slices fried twice, first at 150˚C and then at 190˚C, in order to get extra volume and crispiness. Later recipes proposed pairing chateaubriand with even more decadent château potatoes, a dish prepared by first trimming individual potatoes down to the size of olives and then sautéing them in butter.