Fillet Steak a la Obama with black rice and fried bananas

Choose a beef tenderloin, clean off the membranes and any fat. Cut off the thinner end so you get a piece of roughly even size and thickness at both ends. Sear the fillet - fry it in 1-2 tbsp olive oil and butter on all sides until it takes on a golden crust, and let it rest 10 min aside. Put the fillet in an ovenproof dish and roast it in an oven preheated to 210 C. It is best to use a cooking thermometer, and when the internal temperature of the meat reaches 55 C, take it out. If you do not have such a device, roast for 7-8 min, then let the fillet rest at least 5-6 min before you cut it into slices two fingers thick. Only now season with salt and ground pepper, otherwise you risk the juices running out and cooking yourself a shoe sole.

For the garnish choose 2 kinds of bananas - green, large, or "Platano macho" as we call them in Cuba. In Bulgaria I have seen them in "Metro" and some "Piccadilly" stores. They are bigger and firmer than the ordinary ones. Peel them with a knife and cut into slices about one finger thick. Fry them briefly in a little fat - they are tastiest if fried in lard. Set them aside to rest, and once cooled, flatten them between paper - a bag or the old wrapping paper. The flattened slices are fried again in a deep fryer or a saucepan with plenty of very hot fat, and salted at the end. The other garnish is made from ordinary sweet bananas. Peel and cut them into pieces 2-3 fingers long. Fry in butter and salt.

Black beans with rice, or as we call it in Cuba "arroz con gris": Put black beans to boil in plenty of water. Salt and spices are added at the end, once the beans are cooked. Strain the cooked beans, keeping the liquid. Fry 1 finely chopped onion, red pepper and bacon or pancetta. At the end add 2 cups of rice, and when it changes color to become like porcelain, add 1-2 tsp pressed garlic and 3 cups of the bean water. The rice must be long-grain, do not use pearl rice or similar, because then you will need more liquid. It is very important not to overdo the liquid, so the grains come out separate and do not stick together as in sushi or pilaf. Lower the heat, cover the rice and do not touch it for half an hour. Then turn off the burner and do not uncover for at least another 20 minutes. Add the beans and stir carefully so you do not mush any ingredient.

Now everything is ready to plate the dish "A la Obama" - serve several pieces of beef tenderloin on the plate, spoon over 1-2 tablespoons of the black beans with rice, garnish with a few sweet and salty bananas, sprinkle with finely chopped fresh parsley and pour yourself a Mojito!