ROAST TENDERLOIN OF BEEF
servings 8-10
Tenderloin of beef makes a beautiful presentation. Because it’s such a lean cut of meat it can lack in flavor some. I punch up the flavors by marinating it in herbs ahead of time. Also, it is best served with a sauce, such as bearnaise, bordelaise, or a simple red-wine chanterelle sauce. I make this every Christmas- because it’s so easy and quick and a favorite of everyone. If you are not going to roast a whole tenderloin- weighing in at about 5 #- be sure to have your meat guy cut you a piece that is uniform in size- for even cooking. The cooking time for whole or a smaller portion remains the same.
1 whole beef tenderloin, trimmed of fat
1/2 cup olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
several sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2-3 cloves of garlic- mashed- you don’t have to peel
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 T unsalted butter- room temp
Combine the olive oil, vinegar,parsley,thyme, bay leaf, and garlic in a glass dish large enough to hold the beef- with some space around the roast. Rub the beef all over with the mixture and marinate for at least an hour- if longer than an hour refrigerate it. (Remember to remove it from the fridge about an hour before roasting)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. Place it in a shallow roasting pan and rub the butter all over- top, bottom and sides.
Roast for 20 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer- in at least 2 places- when it’s 120 degrees it’s medium rare. The temp goes up fast so if you need to return it to the oven check every few minutes- this is one expensive cut of meat that you don’t want to over-cook.
Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing into thick- about 1/2” slices- serve with the sauce of your choice. I like either bearnaise or bordelaise sauce.