Years ago, when my children were young, I would make a traditional turkey dinner with stuffing and all the side dishes for Christmas.  That, of course, meant that I slaved away in the kitchen all morning instead of having fun in the family room watching the kids play with their new Christmas toys.  After a few years of that, I wised up and started making beef tenderloin for our special holiday meal.  Yes, it’s not inexpensive, but it’s super easy, super impressive, and super delicious.

This recipe for beef tenderloin was new to me as the one I used to make called for wrapping the beef in bacon and cooking it at a much higher temperature—425^o F vs. 275^o F.  It turns out that low and slow is the way to go as far as I’m concerned.  The meat turned out oh so tender; and the garlic, rosemary, and thyme infused it with a savory flavor that was balanced and didn’t outshine the beef.  

When I last made it for Easter dinner, all four adults just kept exclaiming how good it was with almost every bite.  (Honestly, there were a couple of moans as well.)  I was lucky enough to have some beef left over, and the next day it made a fabulous sandwich with a smear of the horseradish sauce.

I have included the recipes for both a port wine sauce and a horseradish cream sauce.  Feel free to make one or the other, both, or neither depending on your family’s preferences.  My family preferred the port wine sauce although I thought the beef was sensational on its own.  In fact, it was quite frantastic!

Let’s go!

Ingredients for the Tenderloin

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbl. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tbl. chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (4-lb.) beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied into 2-inch sections
• 1 tbl. olive oil 

Ingredients for the Port Wine Sauce

• 1 tbl. butter 
• 1/2 cup minced white onion 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 tbl. chopped fresh thyme 
• 3/4 cup low-sodium beef broth 
• 1/2 cup port wine 

Ingredients for the Horseradish Cream Sauce

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbl. prepared horseradish
• 2 tbl. chopped fresh chives
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions for the Beef Tenderloin

1. Preheat oven to 275^o F.  Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with nonstick spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine garlic, rosemary, thyme, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper.
3. Using paper towels, pat tenderloin dry.  Drizzle with olive oil; season with garlic mixture, gently pressing to adhere.
4. Place tenderloin onto the prepared baking sheet.  Then, place into oven and bake until it reaches an internal temperature of 130 to 135^o F for medium-rare, about 50 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until it reaches desired doneness.  Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.  This will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
5. Serve immediately as is or with port wine sauce or horseradish cream sauce.
6. While the beef is cooking, of course, you can make either or both of the two sauces.

Directions for the Port Wine Sauce

1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic and thyme.  Cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender. 
2. Stir in the beef broth, scraping any onion bits from the bottom of the pan, then stir in the port wine.  Bring to a boil andcook until the mixture has reduced to about 1/2 cup.  Set aside.  This may also be made ahead of time, and reheated. 

Blue-cheese-crusted Filet Mignon with Port Wine Sauce – Fran’s Favs

Directions for the Horseradish Cream Sauce

To make the horseradish cream sauce, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, prepared horseradish and chives; season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to trim the tenderloin?

Yes!  Trimming the tenderloin of excess fat and silver skin (cartilage) underneath is key here.  The butcher can and should do this for you.

Can I use dried herbs instead?

Absolutely!  But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry.  The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.

How long should I cook tenderloin?

This really depends on personal preference.  I prefer medium rare.  Here are recommendations for doneness:

Rare (125° F)

Medium rare (130 to 135° F)

Medium (145° F)

Medium well (155° F)

Well done (165° F). 

Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results.  The meat will continue to cook once removed from the oven, so I recommend cooking 5 to 10° F below your desired doneness.

Source:  Beef and Horseradish Cream Sauce from Damn Delicious; Port Wine Sauce from Fran’s Favs

Garlic Rosemary Beef Tenderloin – Damn Delicious

Blue-cheese-crusted Filet Mignon with Port Wine Sauce – Fran’s Favs

Ingredients:

• Water

Equipment needed:

• Refrigerator w/freezer that can chill to below 0 celsius
• Ice cube tray

Prep time

However long it takes to freeze stuff.

Directions

1. Fill ice cube tray with water.
2. Open freezer door.
3. Put ice cube tray in freezer, careful to not spill any.
4. Wait.