Tournedos of beef with prosciutto and artichoke hearts

When I visit a new city, I often like to buy a cookbook as a souvenir. This cookbook can have only a handful of recipes, or a hundred; it can have pictures, or not; it can be by a famous chef or a collection of housewives. The only rule is that it be recipes from that city (or country).

One of my first days in San Francisco, one of the ladies I'll live with next year, the delightful Miss Julie, took me to a used bookstore where we promptly kneeled on the floor reading cookbooks. After flipping through every one with "California" or "San Francisco" anywhere on the front cover, I finally selected what is thus far proving itself to be a very useful cookbook, the only one I have with me right now since I drove cross-country without a single cookbok (shocking, isn't it?). Anyway, this cookbook is called: A Taste of San Francisco. Published by The San Francisco Symphony, it is a collection of recipes from the best restaurants of the Bay Area. What's interesting is that each restaurant has about three recipes--a starter, main dish and dessert--so you can make, say, a Chez Panisse meal one night.

The first recipe I decided to make from this book (even though I changed a few things as is my way) was based on one from The Blue Fox, since closed. I tweaked the recipe a fair amount, as I always do, and what follows is my version. I'm sure the original is delicious as well.

Tournedos of beef with prosciutto and artichoke hearts

.70 lb Beef Tenderloin
1/2 tablespoon Capers
Oil for skillet
1/2 bunch Scallions, chopped
3 slices Prosciutto, cut into strips
4 Artichoke Hearts, quartered

1/2 + 1/4 cup Chicken Broth
Several stalks Cilantro, chopped
Salt and Black Pepper

Cut Beef into 1" cubes. Soak Capers in a small bowl of cold water to rinse off brine or salt from jar.

Heat Oil in medium skillet so it coats bottom. Saute Beef, turning frequently, until browned. If you like your meat pink inside, transfer to a plate and keep warm, otherwise continue cooking a little longer. (You can also cut the meat into smaller pieces and then cook it for shorter.) Once Meat is removed from pan, add Scallions and Prosciutto to pan. Fry quickly over high heat, then add Artichoke Hearts, Stock, drained Capers, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until liquid in the pan has thickened to a pan sauce.

Return Beef to pan, add Cilantro, Black Pepper and Salt, if needed (keep in mind--Capers and Prosciutto are quite salty in their own right). Mix everything together and serve.