We had this beef tenderloin for dinner on Christmas Eve. I'd say more about the recipe, but every time I think about it, I drool a little. And I don't want to short-circuit my computer, so I'd better just get to the recipe.
Suffice to say, it was GLORIOUS. Bacon-y, boozy, beefy...Oh, there I go with the drool again.
Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Shallots, Bacon, and Port
Adapted from Bon Appetit via epicurious.com
Serves: 6
3/4 pound shallots, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
3 cups beef broth
3/4 cup tawny Port
1.5 teaspoons tomato paste
1 3-pound beef tenderloin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 slices bacon, chopped
1.5 tablespoons butter
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Place shallots on the baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the shallots are browned and tender, about 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Set shallots aside and reduce heat to 375 degrees.
Combine broth and Port in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow mixture to boil until it's reduced by about half, about 30 minutes. Whisk in tomato paste. Set aside. You can make the shallots and the broth mixture a day ahead. Just refrigerate separately until you're ready to use them.
Meanwhile, pat the beef dry. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper. Heat a very large skillet over medium-high heat, and saute bacon until until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels. Add beef to the same skillet and brown on all sides, about 8-10 minutes. Place the skillet in the oven, and roast the beef until it reaches an internal temperature of 125 degrees for medium rare, about 35-40 minutes. (If the bacon grease gets too smoky in the oven, transfer the beef to a separate baking dish.) When the beef is finished cooking, transfer it to a platter, and tent with foil.
Pour fat from the skillet, and place the skillet over high heat. Add broth mixture and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow the sauce to simmer until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Whisk in butter. Stir in bacon and, if desired, shallots. If you have onion-averse in your group (like I do), feel free to serve the shallots on the side. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Thinly slice beef and serve with sauce on the side.
This sounds like a great, classic tenderloin recipe... Thanks for sharing! And I hope you had a very happy holiday!
ReplyDeleteThis is excellent! I love a good roast and your recipe is making my mouth water. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, ladies! And our holiday season was full of fun!
ReplyDeleteShoot...I saw tawny port and I didn't have to look at any more ingredients; I was sold. The tenderloin looks fantastic and perfectly cooked. I'm sure it was amazing.
ReplyDeleteHappy new year.