Recipe: Tenderloin Smothered in Onions (Filete Encebollado)

TENDERLOIN SMOTHERED IN ONIONS
(FILETE ENCEBOLLADO)

2 pounds beef tenderloin
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
2 pressed medium garlic cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
2 sliced medium onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
vegetable oil

Trim off any membranes or connective tissues from the tenderloin, Cut slices against the grain about 3/4 inch thick. Pound lightly each slice to make it thinner. Rub with the salt

Blend the garlic, pepper and olive oil and rub the slices with them. Put the onions on top, cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a 1/4 inch-deep layer of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the meat on both sides. Lower the heat to moderate and continue cooking until done to taste. Turn once or twice. Remove the meat to a platter and keep warm.

Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the oil in the pan, Saute the onion slices for about 5 minutes over moderate heat. Add the juices rendered by the meat on the platter, and stir.

Place the onions on top of the meat and pour the pan juices all over.

Servings: 6
Source: Rice and Beans and Tasty Things: A Puerto Rican cookbook by Dora R. de Romano