beef tenderloin with pan jus

We recently did a steak tasting with the meat eaters in my family. I cooked up filet, new york and rib eye, and the kids and hubs all did a blind tasting.

Hubs and i loved the new yorks (which was no surprise for me, since I know they’re my fav— but a huge surprise to him because he had always been a “filet man”).

The twins both preferred the rib eye.

And the last one we waxed poetic for days about the filet.

While the filet wasn’t the top choice for four of us; it was a close second for each and every one of us. Everyone enjoyed it, everyone said they would happily eat it, which never happens in a family of six (and, like i mentioned, I already have a non-meat eater in the bunch).

So I set forth on a cooking journey with beef tenderloin. If you aren’t familiar, the tenderloin is where individual filet steaks come from. But, like a pork tenderloin you can cook it all at once, and then portion it out. Think the inside of a beef wellington.

This is preferable when cooking for a large number of people, but also, I feel, it makes the meat even more tender and flavorful.

I cook it like i would cook a steak. Simple flavors to let the meat shine, and a long resting period to seal in all those juices.

Ingredients:

3.5 lb beef tenderloin, trimmed and halved

2 sprigs rosemary

6 sprigs thyme

2 large garlic cloves

1 Tbsp kosher salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper

2 Tbsp evoo

2 Tbsp ghee

3/4 cup rose

3/4 chicken stock

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450.

Season beef with salt and pepper.

Bring a large cast iron skillet to medium high heat. Add in evoo.

When olive oil starts to shimmer add in tenderloin. Leave for five minutes. Filet should be browned on one side.

Flip filet over and sear on the other side for another 5 minutes.

Once filet is browned, remove plan from stove and place in the oven, on a middle rack. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven.

Remove filet from pan, and set aside, tented with tin foil, to rest.

Return pan to stove, and heat to high. Add wine and stock. Whisking to pull up browned bits. Bring to boil and then turn down to simmer. Let simmer 10-15 minutes.

Cut filet into individual portions and top with pan ju.

Serve with creamy horseradish.