The beef, which gets an aromatic flavor from the spice rub, requires 4 days of marination. Serve it rare, leaving the end slices for those who like their meat well done.
1 filet of beef, about 3 1/2 pounds
3 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon salt
Hot-sweet mustard
Trim the fillet of any visible fat and silver skin. Mix together the paprika, cumin, coriander, ground pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Spread this spice mixture evenly over the beef. Place the meat in a large glass or plastic dish and cover. et sit in the refrigerator for 4 days. On the third day, sprinkle the meat with the salt.
To cook, let the meat sit at room temperature for about 1 hour. Preheat a stove top griddle or a large cast-iron frying pan and preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Sear the fillet on the griddle, or in the pan, until brown on all sides, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer the meat to a roasting pan and roast in the oven until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the fillet registers 120 degrees. (I let it go higher, as suggested by the butcher’s recipe). Let the meat rest on a carving board, covered with aluminum foil, for about 15 minutes, then slice thin. Serve with hot-sweet mustard.