The Best Beef Tenderloin Ever!

                                                         

This is the one dish that started me trekking down the path of kitchen Nirvana a little over a year ago.  In my ever increasing recipe repertoire, this is by far my and Aqua Man’s most favorite entree.

The only down side is obviously the cost.  I had never purchased beef tenderloin before attempting this recipe and was literally shocked/flabbergasted/blown away at the price tag the butcher slapped on my 3 lb. tenderloin.  This is most likely a “special occasion” dish, but trust me, it’s worth every penny and bite.  J

One quick little tip, while you can’t beat super store prices like Sam’s, I would recommend trying you local butcher.  Where the tenderloin is pre-packaged, they give you the WHOLE tenderloin, usually somewhere in the 4-5 lb. + range.  Your local butcher might be willing to cut you a smaller piece and you can request that they trim the fat, saving you time and the gross job of dealing with it.  If you go the Sam’s Club route, never fear, Beef Tenderloin freezes well and there are tons of ways to prepare it!

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ Pounds Beef Tenderloin, trimmed and tied ( I use standard kitchen twine)
• 2 Teaspoons coarse Salt
• 1 Teaspoon freshly ground Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Cup Chicken Stock
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 2 Teaspoons Grainy Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

*Here’s where I deviate from the original recipe:

The original calls for 3 large Shallots, peeled and cut into ¼ inch thick rounds, I use:

• 3 Leeks, white and light green parts only

Adapted from: Martha Stewart Living

** I must admit I have never tried this recipe with the shallots, once I substituted leeks, I haven’t looked back and don’t plan to any time soon!  If you decide to go with the original recipe, please let me know how it turns out.

Preparation:

Start by heating your oven to 425 degrees.  Coat your tied piece of Tenderloin with Salt and Pepper.  Select a skillet with an oven-proof handle, place over medium high heat and add the Olive Oil.

When the Olive Oil is sufficiently hot, add the meat and sear on all sides until that lovely shade of crispy-brown is attained. 

Transfer the skillet, with the meat, to the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes.  After the 10 minutes, add the leeks to the pan and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes longer, or until your meat thermometer registers 135 degrees.

Remove the Tenderloin from the pan and set aside.  Place the skillet with the leeks over medium high heat and deglaze the pan by adding the Balsamic Vinegar, making sure to stir up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add your Chicken Stock, and simmer until the sauce begins to reduce, about 2-3 minutes. 

Reduce the heat to low and add both Mustards and the Butter.  If not serving immediately, make sure to keep the sauce warm.  Cut the Tenderloin into ½ inch slices and smother with the sauce. 

One bite of this and if your family and/or guests aren’t singing your praises, disown them and pick a bunch of more appreciative people!

This does freeze fairly well, again my only recommendation would be to cut up the tenderloin before, unless you enjoy eating micro-waved hockey pucks.

- - Just in case you’re wondering about the sides that are pictured, the Mashed Potatoes are standard, but I do love, love, love my Green Beans.  The recipe came from Aqua Man’s mother and I couldn’t be happier. - -

I usually use just about 1 lb. of green beans, snapped.  I boil these until tender crisp and then drain and remove from the pot.  Next I add 1 onion, diced, to the same pot and fry over medium high heat until soft.  Then I add the green beans back to the pot and pour in an entire 3 ounce package of Oscar Mayer Real Bacon Bits.  Now here comes the secret.  Lastly I add Colgin’s Mesquite Liquid Smoke.  This little bottle contains a magic sauce that simulates the process of grilling over mesquite wood.  It is quite potent, so I would start out slowly and taste test to the right amount.  After adding the Liquid Smoke, I stir the ingredients and heat until everything is warm and delicious. So good!

Also, just so you know, I suffered my first cooking related accident, yes, I am human and make many, many mistakes.  This one involved me and the oven-proof skillet handle.  Obviously, the handle won. Ouch  : (  Have no fear, it's healing well.