POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 64
Preparation Time: 18 min
Cooking Time: 31 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

This easy appetizer is also quite elegant. Impress your New Year's Eve guests with the wonderfully fresh flavors of the homemade garlic paste.

Ingredients
1 sprays cooking spray
8 medium garlic clove(s), peeled (or to taste)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp parsley, fresh, finely minced
2 pound raw lean beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied (from butcher)
24 oz French bread, cut into sixty four 1/3-inch-thck slices
Instructions
Coat a large roasting pan with cooking spray. Set pan on middle rack in oven and then preheat oven to 425ºF.

Combine garlic, oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and parsley in a small bowl; mash to a fine paste using back of a wooden spoon (or you can use a mortar and pestle). Set aside about 1/3 of garlic paste for use on the meat (the other 2/3 will be for the toasts).

Wash beef and pat dry with paper towels. Rub about 1/3 of garlic paste on meat. Place meat in preheated roasting pan and cook about 22 minutes for medium rare or 24 minutes for medium.

Remove meat from oven and place on a cutting board. Loosely cover meat with aluminum foil and let stand 15 to 20 minutes (meat will continue to cook slightly). Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF.

Meanwhile, spread tops of bread slices with garlic paste; place in a single layer on baking sheets. Bake until slightly toasted, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove strings from meat and slice against the grain into 32 very thin pieces; slice each piece in half. Place a slice of meat on each garlic toast and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.
Notes
To make this in advance, cook the beef in the morning, slice it and store it in the refrigerator. Toast the bread and store it in a covered container at room temperature. Before serving, place a slice of beef on each garlic toast.

This recipe can be halved for smaller gatherings, but the meat tends to cook better when it is 2 pounds or larger. You should cook the meat for 10 to 12 minutes per pound.