I cannot even believe that “CIII:Even Celestina Gets The Blues”, by 17 Pygmies, came out in January and I am just getting around to posting about the album.

It’s really so mean of me to have kept something so good from you all, for so long.

I think part of what caused the delay is that the recipe for this amazing Meat Duet, sent to me by Meg who is the lead singer from the band, is very grand. I kept thinking I’d throw a dinner party and share such an elegant meal with some friends.

That never happened.

Then I decided I would just make the recipe for a special family dinner.

It is not a difficult recipe, but the ingredient list is long so it looks like it is. So I kept putting off making it.

“I’ll do this after Nordic Racing season, after Track/Lacrosse/Baseball season, when school is out….”, I’d tell myself.

Finally, I made the recipe. I put CIII on the stereo and let 17 Pygmies know that dinner was in progress.

I can’t believe that I waited so long to try this delectable meal.

Melting, flavorful meat in a rich, brandy laced sauce redolent with pepper was pure heaven.

Thanks Meg!

(Note: To simplify things and feed a smaller crowd, you can use a 1 pound pork tenderloin and a 1 pound beef tenderloin steak. Adjust the seasoning quantities and the cooking times.)

Duet Of Roast Pork And Beef Tenderloin With Three Peppercorn Sauce

Ingredients for the pork:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried
1 (5-pound) boneless pork loin

Ingredients for the beef:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chervil
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon crumbled dried
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon crumbled dried
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 (4-pound) beef tenderloin

Ingredients for the sauce:

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons brandy
2 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
3 cups “demi-glace sauce”, made according to the package instructions from a “demi-glace sauce mix” such as Knorr. You can buy it here.
1 tablespoon pink peppercorns (available here)
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
1 tablespoon dried green peppercorns (available here)
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions to prepare the pork:

1. In a bowl stir together the oil, the caraway seeds, the onion, the garlic, the pepper, the salt, and the thyme, rub the mixture onto the pork, and in a roasting pan chill the pork, covered, overnight.

2. Roast the pork in middle of a preheated 350ºF oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer registers 155ºF, remove it from the oven, and let it rest, covered loosely with foil, for 10 minutes.

Directions to prepare the beef:

1. In a bowl stir together the oil, the garlic, the pepper, the herbs, the Worcestershire sauce, and the salt, rub the mixture onto the beef, and in another roasting pan chill the beef, covered, overnight.

2. Roast the beef in the middle of a preheated 425ºF oven for 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 130ºF, for medium-rare meat, remove it from the oven, and let it rest, covered loosely with foil, for 10 minutes.

Directions to make the sauce:

1. In a heavy skillet sauté the shallot and the garlic in the butter over moderately high heat, stirring, until the garlic is golden, remove the skillet from the heat, and add the brandy carefully, scraping up the brown bits.

2. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, or until the tomatoes are softened.

3. Whisk in the demi-glace and the peppercorns and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

4. Stir in the cream and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring.

Directions to serve:

1. Cut the pork and the beef into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange the slices on plates, and spoon the sauce around the meats.

2. Serve with Wild Mushroom Ragout (recipe follows) and Buttered Zucchini, if you like.

Serves 12.

Recipe from The Ahwahnee Hotel

Wild Mushroom Ragout

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 pounds assorted mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, cremini, and/or black trumpet), sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup beef stock
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon for 1-2 minutes or until shallots are lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

2. Add mushrooms and stir constantly for 3 minutes or until mushrooms are soft and liquid has evaporated.

3. Add wine, and beef stock, scraping any browned bits stuck to bottom of skillet. Cook for 2 minutes or until mixture is reduced by half.

4. Add a few pieces of butter at a time, swirling skillet over heat for 1 minute or until butter is melted and sauce is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep ragout warm over low heat.

Recipe from The Ahwahnee Hotel

Where to even start about how much I love 17 Pygmies and their Celestina trilogy.

You might remember that I wrote about the band here and here. If Flourless Chocolate Cakes are your thing, you’ll want to click on those links. Also, check out the latter post to see what a gorgeous job 17 Pygmies does in packaging their CDs.

That attention to packaging detail did not change with the release of CIII. Look how beautiful this CD is.

Concept albums are a favorite of mine, especially when the story is engaging, unique and interesting musically.

17 Pygmies have nailed all that with their creation of Celestina.

‘CIII:Even Celestina Gets The Blues’ is a solid and satisfying follow up to ‘CII:Second Son’. In the words of 17 Pygmies, “it is the final chapter and recordings (Songs/Psalms XXIII – XXXIII) recounting the mythical prog/psych/classical/ambient voyage of the Celestina.”

The dreamy opening song gives way to the menacing entrance of track 2, then continues on in a swirl of hypnotic, dark song arrangements that melt into one another. The tone softens in the final tracks. Gentle and beautiful music.

Meg Maryatt’s vocals are as captivating as ever. Softly drifting above and through the music, pulling you into the story.

Could this be heaven?

Yes, most definitely.

I love the whole album, but CELESTINA XXXI is heart wrenchingly gorgeous. A delicate instrumental that moves me so much.
17 Pygmies-CELESTINA XXXI

It wouldn’t be fair not to include a track that Meg sings in. Listen to my heart…I mean listen to her in this video.

Jackson Del Ray just finished writing the Book of Celestina. A graphic novel is currently in the works. Who knows…there might be a movie someday.

This video is so funny. Part of the band’s promotion for their Pledge Campaign to raise money for their next project, the Book of Isabel. Definitely people I want to cook for and listen to.

Visit 17 Pygmies PledgeMusic page to learn more about the band and to find out how to make a donation.

Also, check out 17 Pygmies on Facebook. You can buy the band’s music here.

Cheers!