This holiday season, Chef Barbara Lynch shares two recipes with Jetset Times, from her book, “Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition.” This recipe below: Slow Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Thyme, is part one of two recipes that we will feature to help you prepare a lovely and satiating holiday feast in your own home. Follow the directions below and enjoy!
Slow Roasted Beef Tenderloin With Thyme is what I would call a no-brainer for cooking for company. Don’t get me wrong, it’s delicious (and it’s certainly expensive); it’s just ridiculously easy. Cooking the meat low and slow reduces any risk of overcooking while also making it especially tender and juicy. I love the buttery texture of beef tenderloin, but its flavor can usually use a boost, which explains the ample thyme in the pan and the red wine sauce on the side. The sauce, by the way, is not only super simple, but also can be made almost completely ahead. For a retro style meal that’s sure to please, serve the tenderloin with the Potatoes Mousseline and the Spinach Almandine. They don’t call these classics for nothing.
Ingredients: (Serves 6 to 8)
- 1 whole beef tenderloin (about 6 pounds), trimmed of the chain, excess fat, and sinew
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- About 25 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Red Wine Sauce (optional; recipe follows)
Heat the oven to 250°F. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper. Fold the thin tail piece of the tenderloin under itself to create a roast of even thickness. Using twine, tie the beef at regular intervals to help it keep its shape during cooking. Tuck the thyme beneath the twine all the way around the beef, spacing the sprigs about 2 inches apart. Brush the beef with the olive oil. Put the beef in a roasting pan and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 130° F for medium rare, 1 3/4 to 2 hours.
Transfer to a carving board, tent with foil, and let rest for 20 to 25 minutes. Just before serving, carve into 1/2-inch slices.
Make ahead: Although I would not make this ahead to serve for dinner, the tenderloin is in fact delicious at room temperature, which means you could make it ahead and serve it sliced as part of a holiday buffet if you like.
Red Wine Sauce (Yields about 1 1/4 cups; 6 to 8 servings)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup thinly sliced shallots (4 to 6 shallots depending on size)
- 2 cups full-bodied dry red wine, such as Merlot
- 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 cups beef broth
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium low heat. Cook the shallots, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft and translucent, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn the heat to high, add the wine and vinegar and boil until reduced to a syrupy consistency (about 1/4 cup), about 10 minutes. Add the thyme and the beef broth and reduce to 1 cup, about 20 minutes. Strain the sauce. If not using right away, let the sauce cool, cover and refrigerate.
Just before serving, reheat the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. When it’s hot, whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.
Make ahead: The beauty of this sauce is that you can make it up to the point of adding the butter days ahead of serving it. Refrigerate it and whisk in the butter when you reheat it.
Visit Barbara’s The Butcher Shop in Boston.
