Filet of beef with tomato-bean salsa

5
Points®
Total Time
17 min
Prep
7 min
Cook
10 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Beef tenderloin gets carne asada treatment in this recipe. This Tex-Mex flavored dish requires minimal effort, most of it going into flattening the beef into ultra thin portions for quick cooking in the skillet. These steaks literally enjoy a flash in the pan, so you can have a filling, flavorful dinner the whole family will love on your table in about 20 minutes. The salsa makes this dish, and has the unusual addition of white beans (cannellini) for added heft. Enjoy this Tex-Mex flavored beef with fat-free tortilla chips, and make a double batch of the salsa to have on hand for dipping or adding to a rice or grain bowl the next day.

Ingredients

Canned white beans

15½ oz, rinsed and drained

Tomato

2 medium, seeded and chopped

Kirby cucumber

1 average, peeled and chopped

Red onion

¼ cup(s), sliced, finely chopped

Avocado

¼ cup(s), sliced, diced

Fresh basil

2 Tbsp, fresh, chopped

Red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp

Table salt

¾ tsp

Uncooked trimmed beef tenderloin

1 pound(s), trimmed

Unsweetened lime juice

1 Tbsp

Olive oil

1½ tsp

Instructions

  1. To make the salsa, toss together the beans, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, avocado, basil, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a serving bowl.
  2. Cut the beef lengthwise (with the grain) into 4 thick slices. Place each slice between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy saucepan to 1⁄4-inch thickness. Sprinkle the slices with the lime juice and the remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt.
  3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Serve with the salsa. Yields 1 slice beef and about 1 cup salsa per serving.