Roast Beef Tenderloin

Cook. Cover barley with water by 5 cm in a mid-sized pot and add a teaspoon salt. Bring to the boil, reduce to a bare simmer, and cook till barley is tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Tip off the liquid, rinse under cold water, and keep to one side. Barley can be cooked upwards to 3 days in advance.

Step 2. For this pesto, put the greens, garlic, walnuts, olive oil (2 tablespoons), and of Pecorino Romano cheese in (1 tablespoon) the bowl of one food processor or blender. Blitz till a paste is formed. Taste and add salt if it needs it with salt and pepper and keep to one side. Rub beef with oil and season (1 teaspoon) well using salt plus pepper.

Cook (2). Heat one cast iron skillet or grill pan over a high flame till gently smoking, next add beef. Cook, turning often, till well-browned on all sides plus an instant read thermometer inserted in deepest part of meat registers 50°C for mid-sized rare or 55°C for mid-sized, around 10 minutes total (reduce heat if this meat threatens in order in order in order in order to burn or this smoking is excessive before it reaches its finished temperature). Move meat to a cutting board and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Make the cacio e pepe barley while the meat is resting.

Cook (3). Wipe out skillet and add leftover of olive oil (2 teaspoons). Return to medium-high heat till shimmering. Add barley and of freshly ground black pepper (2 teaspoons), and cook, mixing often, till barley is toasty and gently browned, around 7 minutes. Remove from heat and scatter leftover 2 tablespoons of Pecorino over the top.

Finish. Mix in the barley, allowing the residual heat in order to melt it. Taste and add salt if it needs it with more salt and pepper as wanted. To serve, share the barley into two shallow bowls. Cut into 1.3 cm slices after the meat has rested.

Finish (2). Put on top of this barley. Spoon one or two spoonfuls of this pesto over the meat, plus top using some extra freshly cracked black pepper. Offer.