Larded Fillet of Beef

Ingredients

• 1 pound cold, firm fat bacon
• 1 fillet (tenderloin) of beef with fat
• coarse sea salt (formerly 'bay salt')

Directions

1. Cut the bacon into strips ¼ inch thick and 1½ inches long.

2. Trim the fillet of beef, leaving a layer of fat about as thick as a beefsteak.

3. Lift one side of the fat and lay it over the other side without cutting it off.

4. Score the skin inside the fat to prevent it from curling during cooking.

5. Insert a piece of bacon into a larding needle and draw it through the meat, leaving one end exposed.

6. Continue inserting strips of bacon in rows, alternating the placement for even coverage.

7. Cover the larded fillet with the sheet of fat.