appetizers
beef
cocktail party

Tom Perini of James Beard award-winning Perini Ranch Steakhouse assembles a crowd-pleasing line-up of easy beef tenderloin crostini to serve or set-out for a DIY appetizer bar.

"When you want a simple appetizer to pass or for people to assemble themselves, these crostini using roast beef tenderloin are a top choice," Tom says. 

Adapted from Perini Ranch Steakhouse by Lisa and Tom Perini. Copyright © 2019 by Lisa and Tom Perini. Used with permission by Comanche Moon Publishing. All rights reserved.

Ingredients

For the guacamole:
  • 3 ripe Hass avocados, pitted and peeled
  • ½ cup Pico de Gallo
  • ¼ cup minced white onion
  • ½ teaspoon seeded and minced jalapeño
  • 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Dash hot sauce
  • Dash Worcestershire sauce
For the beef tenderloin and guacamole crostini:
  • Sliced toasted or grilled sourdough bread
  • Thinly sliced beef tenderloin
  • Guacamole
  • Crumbled queso fresco
  • Chopped scallions
For the remoulade:
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons mustard (Tom likes to use a Creole-flavored one if you can find it!)
  • 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
  • 1 tablespoon minced pickled jalapeño
  • 1 tablespoon capers, drained
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon prepared horseradish
  • ½ teaspoon anchovy paste
  • ¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
For the beef tenderloin and remoulade crostini:
  • Remoulade
  • Sliced toasted or grilled sourdough bread
  • Thinly sliced beef tenderloin
  • Capers or lemon zest

Preparation

For the guacamole, mash the avocados in a bowl with a large fork but leave some small chunks for texture. Gently stir in the pico de gallo, onion, jalapeño, lime juice, salt, garlic powder, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Use within 30 minutes of preparation. 

For the guacamole crostini, top each crostini with a slice of beef tenderloin, followed by a spoonful of guacamole. Sprinkle with queso fresco and scallions.

For the remoulade, whisk together ingredients in a bowl, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to several days. 

For the remoulade crostini, spread some remoulade on crostini. Top with a slice of beef tenderloin, followed by a dot of remoulade. Garnish with capers or lemon zest.