Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce
Serves 4
Here is what you will need for the sauce:
- 8 TBS unsalted butter, 3 TBS at room temperature
- 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 and 1/4 cups red wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 TBS all-purpose flour
Here is what you will need for the tenderloin:
- 1 center-cut beef tenderloin roast 2 to 3 pounds or 2 petite tenderloin
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 TBS vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup beef broth
Here is what you need to do to make the sauce:
Melt 5 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the wine, beef broth, thyme sprigs, salt, pepper and sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by about half.
While the liquid is reducing, place the remaining 3 tablespoons of the room temperature butter in a small bowl and add the flour and mix into a smooth paste.
Once the wine mixture is reduced, turn the heat down to low and fish out the thyme sprigs. Whisk the flour-butter paste, a teaspoonful at a time, into the simmering wine sauce, and simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Set aside. By the way you can make the sauce a day or two ahead if you want.
Here is what you need to do for the tenderloin:
Very important, let the beef sit at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting. Set an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F.
Pat the beef dry with a paper towel and season it all around with kosher salt and pepper. If your tenderloin tapers down at the ends you can fold it under towards the center and tie it with kitchen string to make the tenderloin more even. Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Cook, turning with tongs, until well browned on all but one side. Turn the tenderloin so that the un-seared side is down, and transfer the skillet directly to the preheated oven. Roast for about 15 minutes, or until done to your liking (115°F-120°F for rare, 130°F-135°F for medium). Transfer the meat to a carving board , cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Skim off any excess fat from the skillet. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil scraping the bottom of the pan to scrape up any brown bits. Add the broth to the red wine sauce, and then bring to a simmer. Place the sauce in a serving bowl and carve the tenderloin into slices. Serve the beef and pass wine sauce at the table.Let’s Eat!!