Garlic Thyme Studded Beef Tenderloin Roast with Red Wine Sauce
This Garlic Thyme Studded Beef Tenderloin Roast with Red Wine Sauce is perfect for a special occasion or holiday gathering!
Equipment
- 1 roasting pan and rack
- kitchen twine/butchers' twine
- 1 medium saucepan
- 1 castiron skillet
Ingredients
For the Beef
- 1 Beef Tenderloin Roast (about 2-3 lbs)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 12 thyme tips (just the tender end of the stalk, intact)
- 1 small shallot (15-20g), finely diced
- 2 sprigs thyme – leaves only, chopped
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter – softened
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon clarified butter (or ghee) for searing
For the Sauce
- 2 cups beef stock
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, divide
- 1 medium shallot (30g), finely diced
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 3 peppercorns
- 1 small bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
Prepare the Beef
- Completely pat dry your beef tenderloin. Tie it with butchers’ twine in 3-5 places to ensure the roast stays uniform. Set aside.
- Prepare your garlic by thinly slicing the peeled garlic cloves. Heat a small pan on medium heat and add the 3 tablespoon of butter. Once the butter has melted, add the thin slices of garlic and sauté for just a minute or two. The garlic should not brown (a little around the edges is OK) but should cook enough that it sweetens up and loses the bitterness of raw garlic. Remove the garlic and discard the butter or save for another use (garlic butter!).
- Using a thin, sharp knife, make holes in the tenderloin roast. Slide the garlic and/or thyme tips down the knife and, if needed, use your finger to push the garlic/thyme deep into the cut. Do this in various places of the tenderloin (top, bottom, and sides). Most or all holes can have both garlic and thyme, but some can just have one or the other if you wish.
- Optional: We recommend (see note) that you place the meat on a rack over a sheet-tray, uncovered, in the refrigerator for several hours before roasting or up to 2 days to air dry and age. When ready to cook, remove the beef from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Roast the Beef Tenderloin
- Preheat your oven to 300°F
- Next, mix the softened butter with the chopped thyme leaves and shallot to make a compound butter. Season the roast with the salt and pepper. Smear the butter all over the tenderloin roast and then put it on a roasting rack over a sheet pan or roasting pan.
- Put the roast in the oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 125°F for medium rare (the carryover will be about 7-10°F while the beef rests after searing). This will take about 45 minutes, but after 40 minutes, you should start taking the temperature of the beef. Depending on your oven and how cold the meat was in the center when it went in, it could take up to 60 minutes. Temp it often so that you don't overcook your beef.
Make the Sauce
- While your beef tenderloin is roasting, add the beef stock in a saucepan over medium heat and reduce until you have ⅔ of a cup. This can be done ahead of time. Set aside.
- To a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until the shallot is tender and just starts to brown. Add the wine, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Stir, and cook until there is only about ¼ cup of wine remaining.
- Next, strain out the solids and put the liquid back into the pan. Add the vinegar and your reduced beef stock. Stir and cook until thickened. Taste for seasoning – you’ll probably need a little kosher salt here. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 3 tablespoon butter (you can use more if desired). Keep warm until ready to serve but do not boil after the butter is added or your sauce will break.
Sear the Beef
- When the meat is at 125° in the center, remove it from the oven. Heat a heavy pan (cast iron works best) on high heat. Add the clarified butter and sear your roast on all sides, about a minute per side MAX. Place the meat on your cutting board and allow it to rest for about 8-10 minutes while you finish the sauce
Finish the Sauce, Slice the Beef and Serve
- Once your tenderloin has cooked and is resting, remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the butter. Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste as needed. Your sauce is now ready to serve. You can gently reheat it over low heat right before serving with the tenderloin if necessary, but avoid bringing the sauce to a boil or heating too quickly or the sauce could break.
- Slice your beef tenderloin into individual portions and serve with the sauce.
Notes
We recommend prepping the meat by studding it and placing it uncovered on a rack in the fridge for a few hours and up to 2 days prior to roasting it to enhance the flavors of the beef. If necessary, you can skip the refrigeration resting step and make this recipe immediately after coating the beef in butter.
Nutrition
Serving: 6ozCalories: 704kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 30gFat: 60gSaturated Fat: 30gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 176mgSodium: 1400mgPotassium: 666mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 891IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 4mg
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