BEEF TENDERLOIN DINNER
Follow this step by step recipe for the perfect Beef Tenderloin. After many dinner parties I have mastered a great do-ahead tip. It allows you to clean up all the mess from searing the beef so you won’t have to do that while your guests are arriving. This process makes it a breeze to cook and allows you to sip on a martini with your guests!
Beef Tenderloin
Serves 5-6
Ingredients
5 lbs Beef Tenderloin
2 tsp Seasoned Salt
2 tsp Lemon Pepper
2 tsp Ground Pepper
2 tbsp Grapeseed Oil
1 Stick of Butter
3 Garlic Cloves, smashed
3 c Beef Broth
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Remove any excess fat and silver skin from the surface of the tenderloin and tie up the tenderloin with cotton/butcher twine. I cinch it about every 2 inches for even cooking. You can also ask your butcher to take the silver skin off and tie it up for you (time saver).
Mix the seasoned salt, lemon pepper and black pepper in a bowl, rub all over the tenderloin. The beef should sit on the counter covered for one hour before you saute.
In order to get great coloring and flavor, use a cast iron pan. Heat the cast iron pan with the grapeseed oil over medium high heat. Add the tenderloin and sear for 2 minutes each side.
The recipe, at this point, can be all done ahead of time. Below are directions to pick up the cooking process a few hours later on. SEE BELOW FOR MAKE AHEAD TIP/COOKING PROCESS.
If continuing the cooking process: Place the tenderloin on a rack in a roasting pan, add 4 tablespoons butter sliced into 8 pieces and add into all the crevices of the beef.
Add beef broth in the bottom of the roasting pan; enough to cover bottom.
This typically takes about 35-45 minutes to cook. (This typically takes about 35-45 minutes to cook. I monitor the beef’s temperature with a thermometer inserting into the thickest part of the tenderloin and I remove the beef from the oven when it reaches 125 °F as it will still continue to cook as it rests).
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and add 2 smashed garlic cloves while the beef is in the oven. This can sit on the stove until beef is ready to come out of the oven.
Once the beef is done, take it out of the oven. Remove garlic cloves, then pour the melted butter over tenderloin. Tent the Beef tenderloin with foil for at least 20 minutes before you slice. I recommend this be served with Horseradish Mayo.
MAKE AHEAD PROCESS:
After searing beef, let it sit on the counter until it cools down for at least 45 minutes. Then cover and put in the refrigerator to cook later. Make sure when you take the beef out of the refrigerator you allow it to sit for an hour before you put it in the oven. You can add the pats of butter in all crevices at this time while the beef sits. Continue from step 4.
The Horseradish Mayo can be made a few days ahead of time.
Horseradish Mayo
Ingredients
1 c mayonnaise
4 tbsp horseradish (add more or less to your liking)
2 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
Directions
Add to a bowl the mayonnaise, horseradish, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Rice Pilaf
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
1 c Basmati Rice (rinse rice in a fine mesh colander before cooking)
2 c chicken broth
10 pieces of angel hair pasta (break up into 1-inch pieces; split 4-5 breaks)
Directions
Over a medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter and add the angel hair pasta stir for 3-4 minutes or until they are golden brown. Add the rice and mix until the rice is coated in the butter, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth and 1 tablespoon butter and turn heat up to high to bring to a boil (keep watching, do not go and do anything else). Once boiling, turn heat to the lowest setting for simmer; put the cover on the pan and cook for 15 minutes.
Do not take cover off the pan until the entire 15 minutes is up.
Green Bean Casserole is typically made with cream of mushroom soup. I make this with my own sauce and do not add mushrooms. If you like mushrooms I would recommend adding them when you are sauteeing the bacon and onions. This is also great to make ahead vegetable casserole. You can prep it in the morning and cook later. See do-ahead tip below.
Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
2 ½ lbs Green Beans, trimmed
5 slices of Bacon, cut into pieces
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Onion, diced
4 tbsp Butter
4 tbsp Flour
2 c Whole Milk
1 c Heavy Cream
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
3 heaping tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 tsp Franks Red Hot Sauce
⅓ c Roasted Red Peppers, diced
2 c Shredded Cheese (I used a mix of Cheddar Cheese and Jack Cheese)
2 ½ c French’s French fried onion rings
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Blanch the green beans in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, move them to a bowl filled with cold water and ice cubes. Once cool, drain and pat dry. Set aside.
Saute bacon for a few minutes and add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic for 30 seconds and take out of the pan into a bowl and set aside.
In the same pan you cooked the bacon and onions, add the butter and melt. Add flour and constantly stir for about 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the milk and whisk, add cream, dijon, salt, pepper and hot sauce. As you see it start to thicken turn off the heat and add 1 ½ cups of the cheese. Taste it and see if you need to add more salt. Mix back in the onion/bacon mixture, roasted red peppers and green beans. Stir to combine.
Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray and add the green bean mixture.
DO AHEAD TIP:
At this point, you can cover and leave in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it. Take it out of the refrigerator and let it sit for 30 minutes before putting into the oven.
Sprinkle ½ cup cheese over the top, bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling. Add the French fried onion rings and cook another 5-10 mins or until crunchy on top.
