Yield: 4 servings

Vegetables:

• 8 small California carrots, peeled and trimmed
• 8 spring onions, white part with ½ inch of green only
• 4 green Romano beans, trimmed and cut in half
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 12 small Yukon gold potatoes (approximately 3 pounds), peeled, and cut in half
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 large fresh porcini or wild mushrooms (approximately 1 pound), trimmed, cleaned, and cut into ¼-inch thick slices
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the carrots. After 3 minutes add the spring onions. After 1 minute, add the romano beans and blanch until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large casserole over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, garlic, carrots, spring onions, and mushrooms, and cook until the butter is foamy. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Add the romano beans, cover the pan with a lid, and bake for 25 minutes, continuously basting the vegetables with the pan juices. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and keep warm.

Sauce, Foie Gras and Beef:

• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ pound beef stew meat, cut into 2-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2½ teaspoons whole black peppercorns, crushed
• 2 shallots, peeled, thinly sliced and washed
• ¼ cup cognac or brandy
• 1 cup unsalted beef stock or store-bought low sodium beef broth
• ½ cup truffle juice
• 1 small bunch Italian parsley, stems and leaves separated
• 2 ounces fresh black truffles, washed, cleaned and cut into
• ¼-inch thick slices
• 1 pound fresh foie gras, cleaned and cut into
• ½-inch thick slices
• 2 bone-in beef rib-eye chops (about 1½ pounds each)
• 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

Warm the oil in a large nonstick sauté pan or skillet over high heat. Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, slip the beef into the pan. Cook, turning as needed, until the cubes are well browned on all sides. Reduce the heat to medium, add ½ teaspoon of the pepper and the shallots and cook stirring for 10 minutes. Deglaze with the cognac and cook until the liquid has almost evaporated. Add the beef stock, truffle juice, and parsley stems and reduce the liquid by one-third to one-half. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve. Immediately toss the truffles into the strained sauce and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Season the foie gras slices generously with salt and pepper. Set a large heavy sauté pan over high heat and sauté the foie gras slices until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Drain the foie gras on a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside and keep warm.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Season the chops with salt. Sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoons of pepper over both sides of the chops pressing the pepper into the meat. In a large ovenproof sauté pan or skillet, warm 3 tablespoons of the butter over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the chops and cook for 8 minutes. Turn the chops over and cook for another 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and thyme. Place the pan in the oven and cook for another 5 minutes while continually basting the meat. Transfer the meat to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.

To Serve: If necessary, re-warm the vegetables. Place the chops on the center of a large platter. Arrange the vegetables around the meat. Arrange the foie gras slices down the center of the rib-eye. Using a slotted spoon, remove the truffle slices from the sauce and arrange the slices down the center of the foie gras. Garnish with the parsley leaves and serve the sauce separately.