Recipe: Air-cured Waygu, Treviso Leaves, Compressed Asian Pear and Whipped Pine Nut Oil

the appetizer:

In Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide, Chef Thomas Keller explores experimental cooking methods, including recipes for Compressed Watermelon and Hayden Mango "Yolk"; Salad of Heirloom Beets, Anjou Pear, Mâche, Candied Walnuts, and Blue Apron Goat Cheese Coulis; and Air-cured Waygu, Treviso Leaves, Compressed Asian Pear and Whipped Pine Nut Oil.

Cookbook

Air-cured Waygu, Treviso Leaves,
Compressed Asian Pear
and Whipped Pine Nut Oil

Makes 4 Servings

We cure Wagyu, this expensive, fat-rich beef, because the result is so good—the protein becomes dense and the mild flavor becomes more concentrated and beefy, and the fat becomes supple, almost lardo-like, and melts in your mouth. And, the yield is higher—we don't lose valuable fat or juices to cooking. Here we pair the sliced beef with the bitter notes of Treviso and the sweetness of balsamic and compressed Asian pear.

We specify boneless Wagyu beef in this dish because beef from Wagyus raised in Japan can be imported into the United States only that way.

Cured Beef

40 grams kosher salt
6 grams Hobbs' Curing Salt (see Sources, page 282 of the book)
24 grams granulated sugar
1 kilogram Wagyu boneless beef

Compressed Pear

1 firm Asian pear
Juice of 1/2 lemon
9 grams granulated sugar

Whipped Pine Nut Oil

1 gelatin sheet (2 grams), soaked in cold water to soften
100 grams boiling water
0.4 gram xanthan gum (see Sources, page 282)
57 grams pine nut oil
3 grams champagne vinegar Granulated sugar
Kosher salt
4 Treviso radicchio leaves
8 grams ground toasted pine nuts

For the Beef: Mix together both salts and the sugar. Rub half the cure into the beef; reserve the remaining cure. Refrigerate the beef to cure for 1 week.

Rub half the remaining cure into the meat. Refrigerate and cure for 1 more week. Repeat a final time with the remaining cure and refrigerate for a final week.

Rinse the beef in ice water to remove the excess surface salt and pat dry. Tie the meat crosswise every 3/4 inch with butcher's twine. Wrap another piece of twine lengthwise around the meat, running this piece under the other pieces of twine. Leave a long end of twine for hanging the beef.

Hang in a well-ventilated area at 55°F (12.8°C)and 65 percent humidity for approximately 3 months. The length of time will vary with the hanging conditions.

The aged beef can be sliced, placed on parchment paper, and vacuum-packed for storage.

For the Pear: Peel the pear and cut it in half. Cut out the core.

Toss the pear with the lemon juice and sugar. Place in a bag and vacuum-pack on high. Refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight.

Remove from the bag and cut into a variety of shapes.

For the Pine Nut 0il: Combine the softened gelatin and boiling water in a Vita- Prep and blend on low speed. With the machine running, very slowly sprinkle in the xanthan gum. Very slowly drizzle in the oil. Add the vinegar and a pinch each of sugar and salt. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Makes about 160 grams

At Service: Cut the Treviso leaves on the diagonal. Thinly slice the beef.

Whisk the whipped pine nut oil, and spread it over the plates. Coat some of the pieces of pear with the ground pine nuts, and arrange on the plate with the Treviso and beef.