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Perfect for special occasions, this roast beef tenderloin served with a rich red wine sauce is easy to make and super stylish.
This roast beef tenderloin recipe is my choice for special occasions. It never fails to impress, and using a rinse-free meat thermometer with a remote monitor makes it easy to cook meat to the perfect level of cooking, without guesswork! The loin is accompanied by a red wine reduction sauce, which tastes like something you’d order in a fancy French restaurant. It is made by simmering a mixture of butter, shallots, red wine, meat broth and thyme until the flavors intensify. Then a buerre manié, or flour and butter paste, is beaten to thicken the sauce and give it a bright shine. Also, the sauce can be made mostly in advance, so there’s very little fuss at the last minute. This dish is surprisingly easy, exceptionally elegant and always delicious.
What you’ll need to make
roast beef tenderloin with red wine sauce
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/www.onceuponachef.com/images/2019/12/Roast-Beef-Tenderloin-9-scaled.jpg" alt="beef tenderloin ingredients"
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The recipe calls for a roast beef tenderloin, which is the most tender (and most expensive) cut of meat available. “Beef tenderloin” refers to the large cut of meat before it is cut into fillets. Once cut, those steaks are known as filet mignon, which is used in recipes like steak au poivre or pan-fried steaks. Package labeling may vary depending on where you purchase. For example, you’ll sometimes find it labeled as Chateaubriand or filet mignon roast, so if you’re not sure what you’re buying, just ask the butcher.
Your spine
may have some kitchen string tied around one end; butchers often tie the spine near the tapered end so that it is the same thickness in every way. If yours comes that way, leave the rope on until after it’s cooked. If not, don’t worry, there is no need to do any tying.
When selecting a wine for the sauce, you can use any red, such as Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, or red Zinfandel, that you have in the house. Don’t overthink it or use anything too expensive; When using wine for cooking, always select a bottle that is cheap but good enough to drink.
Step by step
instructions Step
1: Make the sauce
melt 5 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan
. 
Add the shallots
. <img
src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.onceuponachef.com/images/2022/09/beef-tenderloin-14.jpg” alt=”add the shallots to the pan” />
Cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, 7 to 8 minutes.
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/www.onceuponachef.com/images/2022/09/beef-tenderloin-13.jpg" alt="
skillet softened shallots
” /> Add wine,
meat broth, thyme sprigs, salt, pepper and sugar, and bring to a boil.
<img
src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.onceuponachef.com/images/2022/09/beef-tenderloin-17.jpg” alt=”boiling red wine reduction” />
Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, or until liquid is reduced by about half.
While the liquid is reduced, place the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. Soften in the microwave (if necessary), then add the flour. Using a spoon, mix into a paste. This is called buerre manié, and is used to thicken sauces.
Once the wine mixture is reduced, reduce the heat to low and remove the thyme sprigs. Whisk the flour and butter mixture, one tablespoon at a time, in the boiling liquid, and simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce thickens. The sauce can be prepared to this point and refrigerated several days in advance.
Step 2: Roast the
beef tenderloin
The best way to cook beef tenderloin is a two-step process: sear, then roast. The loin has a nice crispy brown exterior, which adds a delicious flavor and texture to a lean cut.
Start by seasoning the meat with kosher salt and pepper. Don’t be shy about seasoning; It needs a lot.
Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until almost steaming. Cook, flipping with tweezers, until well browned on all but one side, about 10 minutes total.
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/www.onceuponachef.com/images/2022/09/beef-tenderloin-15.jpg" alt="
scorching
the beef loin in a cast iron skillet” /> Turn the tenderloin
so that the unscorched side is facing down and transfer the pan directly to an oven at 400°F.
Roast until a thermometer inserted in the center of the meat registers 120ºF-125°F for medium-rare, 15 to 20 minutes, or until it is made to your liking. (Note that a perfect medium rare roast will register around 130°F, but the internal temperature of the meat will continue to rise 5-10°F after it is removed from the oven, so it’s best to take it out a little early to account for drag cooking.) If you prefer your roast cooked to medium, take it out of the oven at 130°F.
Step 3: Finish the sauce and cut the tenderloin
Transfer the roast to a carving board (preferably with a juice collection pit) and let it stand, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for 10 to 15 minutes. This allows the juices to be redistributed from the outside of the roast throughout the roast, making the loin juicy. If you cut it too soon, the juices will come out of it.
Meanwhile, pour the fat from the roasting tray. Place the pan on the stove and add the meat broth. Bring the broth to a boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape the fond (brown pieces) from the bottom of the pan.
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/www.onceuponachef.com/images/2022/09/beef-tenderloin-04.jpg" alt="
scraping brown pieces from the roasting pan” />Add the tasty broth to the red wine sauce and simmer. <img src="https://i0.wp.com/www.onceuponachef.com/images/2022/09/beef-tenderloin-03.jpg" alt="simmer red wine sauce"
/
>
Cut the roast into 1/3-inch-thick slices.
<img
src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.onceuponachef.com/images/2022/09/beef-tenderloin-05.jpg” alt=”carve the roast beef loin” /> Serve the meat
, passing the red wine sauce on the table.
More Christmas
- beef recipes Stewed beef breast with onion
- potatoes
- Moroccan-style breast with dry Fruits and capers
- Red wine stewed Short ribs
- Steak au Poivre
and
Video Tutorial
