A beef tenderloin recipe – worthy and safe!
Beef tenderloin, also known as eye fillet, is one of the most expensive cuts of beef. It’s loved for how tender it is and because of the price, typically reserved for special occasions. So I really do not want to stuff it up, and I want to cook it in a way that is worthy of such a luxurious cut of meat! So this method I’m sharing today is low risk, but yields exceptional results. It’s a proven method I also use for standing rib roast (prime rib), which has been a reader favourite for special occasions for years.
Here’s what you need to know about this recipe:
About The Creamy Mushroom Sauce
One of the reasons it’s taken me years to publish a beef tenderloin recipe was the sauce conundrum. Beef tenderloin needs a sauce that is worthy (this is an expensive meat!). If I had my way, I’d ask you to make homemade beef stock so we can serve this with a red wine sauce because it’s so luxurious (recipe on page 327 of Dinner). But many readers wouldn’t, and you can’t make red wine sauce using carton stock (doesn’t have the gelatine so never thickens and it’s far too salty). As for gravy? Unlike larger roasts, tenderloin doesn’t create enough pan drippings to make a good gravy. It’s too lean and too small. So instead, I’ve chosen what I think is the best sauce for tenderloin – a mushroom sauce that’s made using every drop of flavour left in the pan from roasting. This sauce is Dreamy – with a capital D. 100% worthy of tenderloin!
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this roast beef tenderloin.
1. Centre-cut beef tenderloin (eye-fillet)
Beef tenderloin, also known as eye-fillet, is one of the most expensive cuts of beef that is prized for its tenderness. The best part of the beef tenderloin for roasting is the centre cut because it’s cut from the thick end of a long piece of meat that tapers like a tai, and it’s a relatively uniform shape so it roasts evenly. It usually weighs between 1 – 1.25kg (2 – 2.5 lb) and if you pick one up from a quality butcher, it should be neatly trimmed and tied, as pictured (once I slathered in butter!). The cost will range depending on the quality of the beef, but is typically around $40/kg from grocery stores up to $90/kg at good butchers ($20/lb – $45/lb).
Economical BEEF options
Beef tenderloin is cheaper if you get smaller roasts (~400-500g/14 – 17oz) which come from small beef tenderloins (lacks the impact of a big beef roast), if you get the tail end of beef tenderloin which tapers to a thin point, or if you have a whole tenderloin that you cut, trim and tie yourself (you can save 60-70%). The whole tenderloin below was $30/kg from Harris Farms (currently discounted to $20/kg!), compared to $90/kg for the centre cut tenderloin pictured above (though note beef quality comes into play here too, see box below). I’ve done a separate post on how to trim, cut and tie a whole tenderloin to make your own centre cut for roasting – see How to Trim and Cut Beef Tenderloin for Roasting.
Garlic-thyme-butter slather
This is what we slather onto the surface of the beef before roasting. By using softened butter rather than just pouring over melted butter you get a good amount of garlic sticking to the surface of the beef which is just all sorts of good!
Cheap v expensive beef – affected by breed, how it’s raised, what it’s fed, how it is processed and how the meat is stored. Certain heritage breeds are regarded as more desirable. How cows are fed also affects quality – grain or grass. Meanwhile, beef sweating in vac packs for weeks/months are cheaper, but quality suffers compared to freshly butchered carcasses. Quality of life of the animal comes into play too – Animals that lived a good life will produce better-tasting meat (think battery chickens vs free range). Grass v grain fed beef – Neither is inherently superior (flavour and texture wise) and it’s a matter of taste! Grain fed animals are bigger, the meat is more marbled with a richer, buttery taste. Grass fed cows are usually smaller, and the beef is less marbled and fatty. However it has a more complex and natural beef flavour that many enjoy. People often also prefer the idea of quality pastured beef raised naturally over cows fed on only grain in industrial feedlots. Most Australian beef is in fact grass-fed, but note that many grass-fed animals are still finished on grain or eat some grain during their life. This is normal industry practice. If you want pure grass-fed beef, you need to specifically ask 🙂
Thyme – If you don’t have fresh thyme, substitute with 1/2 tsp dried thyme crushed in your fingers to make it a powder.
Creamy Mushroom Sauce for Roast Beef Tenderloin
Here’s what you need for the creamy mushroom sauce which is heavenly with the beef! The magic ingredient is Marsala, an Italian fortified wine that gives the sauce a gourmet flavour. You need something for beef tenderloin – because it doesn’t produce enough drippings to make a good gravy like you can do with lamb leg, or red wine sauce like I make for beef prime rib (standing rib roast) without using a homemade beef stock (carton stock just doesn’t cut it). I really tried, but it just lacked flavour!
Marsala – As mentioned above, this is the ingredient that gives this sauce a gourmet edge. It’s an Italian fortified wine that you can pick up cheaply (I usually get Boronia Marsala $10 for a 750ml bottle though pictured below is a different brand), keeps “forever” and you need it to make the midweek beauty Chicken Marsala! Don’t have it? Use white wine instead. It doesn’t have the earthy flavour marsala has but it’s nevertheless still going to be a delicious sauce!For a non-alcoholic version, the best substitute is low sodium chicken stock.
Mushrooms – I use white mushrooms because I like the colour in the sauce, but you can use Swiss Brown / Cremini mushrooms if you prefer. Garlic – Not too much actually, just 1/2 a teaspoon. We don’t want to overwhelm the whole dish with garlic flavour and there’s already quite a lot in the butter slather! Chicken stock/broth – Because it’s better than water. Cream – Because we’re making a creamy sauce. Use thickened / heavy cream because it’s thicker than ordinary cream. Thyme sprig – For a perfume of thyme flavour in the sauce without ending up with loads of little black specks in the sauce. Though, you can substitute with dried thyme if you have to. But, be warned – black specks!!
How to make Roast Beef Tenderloin
Roasting in a low 120°C/250°F oven is the key here which actually doesn’t take that long (just 40 minutes). This yields exceptional results with evenly cooked beef from edge to edge (no thick overcooked band you get from higher temps) makes this recipe shockingly straightforward and virtually risk-free. Because you’ve got a meat thermometer, right? 🙂 Even a cheap $5 one from Kmart is better than winging it with a premium cut of beef like tenderloin! Don’t have it? Use white wine instead. It doesn’t have the earthy flavour marsala has but it’s nevertheless still going to be a delicious sauce! For a non-alcoholic version, the best substitute is low sodium chicken stock. However, you should cook your beef to the doneness you like! Use the table below. ** START THIS RECIPE THE NIGHT BEFORE by salting the beef. This does wonders to get seasoning into the flesh and to dry out the surface for a superior crust.
1. low-temp-roasting
HOW TO MAKE The mushroom sauce
As noted earlier, beef tenderloin does not create as much pan drippings as larger roasts with more fat. So we’re going to add a couple of extra steps and ingredients to make a beautiful sauce worthy of tenderloin without wasting a drop of flavour in the skillet! Caveat – If you’re using an economical piece of tenderloin with flappy bits and the thin tail, tying is essential. See section above about preparing economical tenderloin. Can’t do it? That’s ok! While this step is recommended for the best results, it is not the end of the world if you don’t have time to do this because we have our lovely sauce! Just salt then cook immediately. BUT! If you don’t have time for overnight salting, don’t salt and let it sit around for a few hours, the surface gets wet = takes longer to sear = thicker overcooked band. Either salt and leave for 12 hours+, or salt and cook straight away. Note: Typically, fan ovens are 20°C lower than standard for the same cooking speed. But at lower temperatures I find this not to be the case. Discovered this during 12 hour lamb testing! Note for roasting pros: It rises less than larger roasts (like a standing rib roast /prime rib which takes 1 1/2 hours in the oven) because it is not in the oven as long so the residual heat in the meat is less. What I do is use the butter / little amount of beef fat in the skillet to sauté the mushrooms, then all the meat juices as part of the stock for the sauce. The result? A dreamy mushroom sauce that’s worthy of any high-end steakhouse!
What to serve with beef tenderloin
I actually shared the Brie Dauphinoise Potatoes on Monday with the intention of suggesting to serve it alongside this beef tenderloin. It’s worthy! Though, so is traditional no-brie Dauphinoise. 🙂 Also, from a practical perspective, it’s easy to time it. Make the Brie Dauphinoise first. Then cover to keep warm while you cook the beef. It’s a solid mass, it will stay warm while you’re roasting the beef. While the beef is resting, pop the dauphinoise back in the oven to give it a 10 minute blast in the oven to re-warm the surface. Then voilà! Serve both hot and fresh. 🙂
More side suggestions
Few more classic roast beef side suggestions for you: Creamy Buttery Mashed Potato, Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic, Garlic Sautéed Spinach, Lemon Potato Salad. Or, have a browse of my vegetable sides recipe collection (it’s even sorted by vegetable), and more potato sides here. – Nagi x PS Short note on leftovers: serve cold, thinly sliced, on rye with a smear of mustard, for the best roast beef sandwich you’ll make all year.
Watch how to make it
Life of Dozer
The smell of roasting beef…..
