Beef tenderloin is what I make most holidays. It’s a beautiful cut of meat, and the mushrooms are so perfect for the colder months. It’s simple and comforting.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 40 min |
| Active: | 1 hr 10 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 whole beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Neutral cooking oil, for cooking
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 pound beef fat
- 1 pound high-marrow beef bones
- 1 carrot, chopped rough
- 1 celery stalk, chopped rough
- 1 yellow onion, chopped rough
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped rough
- 1/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh sage
- 4 cups Armagnac
- 1 cup veal demi-glace
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons green peppercorns
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- 3 pounds assorted wild mushrooms, trimmed
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves finely chopped
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 8 ounces unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- For the beef: Preheat a pizza oven or regular oven to 400 degrees F.
- Sprinkle the tenderloin with all the herbs and salt and pepper. Heat a 14-inch cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and add 1/4 cup cooking oil, heating until hot. Add the tenderloin and sear until golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Once almost browned on the second side, add the butter and let melt. Transfer the pan to the oven to continue cooking until your desired doneness, or 12 minutes for medium-rare. Allow to rest for 10 minutes, then slice into 1- to 1 1/2-inch-thick slices.
- For the Armagnac sauce: Add the beef fat to a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and let melt. Add the bones and sear just until some of the bone marrow has begun to melt, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the oven and roast until dark and golden, about 15 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and porcinis. Put back into the oven and allow to brown another 10 minutes.
- Transfer the pot to the stovetop. Add the rosemary, sage and Armagnac. Allow the alcohol to ignite and immediately cover with the lid. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the veal demi, chicken stock and green peppercorns, stirring to combine. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes over medium heat.
- Carefully strain the Armagnac sauce directly into a medium saucepan and whisk in the cold butter until thoroughly combined.
- For the wild mushrooms: Turn the heat on under a 12-inch cast-iron pan to medium-high until hot. Add the mushrooms and allow to get hot again, then add the butter and allow the mushrooms to brown all over, about 10 minutes. Add the parsley and rosemary and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- For the gremolata: Add the panko to a large cast-iron pan and allow to toast over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and allow to brown, another 2 minutes. Add the garlic and bloom for 2 minutes. Add the parsley and chives to finish. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Add the mushrooms to the bottom of a large platter. Top with the sliced tenderloin, then spoon the sauce around the outside of the mushrooms. Top the tenderloin with the gremolata and serve.
Reviews
The herby wild mushrooms and gremolata are a delicious add and easy to tackle. The sauce is a “labor of love” but honestly probably not worth it. Even with a whole bottle of Armagnac, beef marrow bones and veal demi reduction (which is supposedly in need of thickening), it ended up being soup/beef stock, so I spent another 1.5 hrs reducing it. Even then, it was good, but not worth the cost of the ingredients or time investment! A regular peppercorn cream sauce would be great here, too.