Beef Tenderloin and Hash Brown Casserole

I have only prepared Beef Tenderloin one way, so I was very interested in trying new recipes.  This is one of them.  Obviously Beef Tenderloin is not an everyday meal, but should you chose, this is a very delicious meal!  I also found also found a very tempting recipe for a hash brown casserole that I decided to include and Aquaman was very happy that I did.

Ingredients for the Tenderloin:

• 1 Whole 4-5 Pound Tenderloin
• 4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
• 1/3 Cups Whole Peppercorns
• Lawry’s Seasoned Slat
• Lemon Pepper Seasoning
• Olive Oil

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Preparation:

            First preheat the oven to 475 degrees.  Next rinse and trim the meat well.  Please don’t remove all the fat, remember it imparts a lot of flavoring! 

            Nest sprinkle the meat with Lawry’s, don’t be afraid to be generous.  Rub the seasoning into the Beef with your fingers.  Now sprinkle both sides of the Beef with the Lemon Pepper Seasoning.  

            Place the Peppercorns in a Ziploc bag and crush using a mallet or heavy can, set aside.  Now heat some Olive Oil in a large, heavy skillet.  Once the Oil begins to smoke, place the tenderloin in the skillet and sear it on all sides.  While doing so, add a couple of tablespoons of Butter to the skillet to give the meat a gorgeous butter infusion before going into the oven.

            Now place the tenderloin into the oven in an oven pan with a rack.  Sprinkle the crushed Peppercorns all over the meat and press them in.   

Place several more tablespoons of Butter all over the Beef.  Cook the Beef for 15-20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.  Once removed from the oven, allow the Beef to rest before serving.  After slicing, use the accumulated juices of the oven pan as a sauce.

            This is so, so, so, good.  The best part it that it is a very literal translation.  You can use as much, or as little of the seasoning as you like.  It can be tailor made to you and yours!

                

Ingredients for the Hash Brown Casserole:

• 1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 8 Ounce Container of Sour Cream
• ½ Cup of melted Butter
• 1 32 Ounce Bag of Has Browns
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 8 Ounce package of Cheddar Cheese, about 2 Cups
• ½ Cup crushed Corn Flakes
• Ground Black Pepper

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Preparation:

                 Start by heating your oven to 350 degrees.  Next stir the Soup, Sour Cream, Butter, Hash Browns, Onion, and Cheese in a large mixing bowl.  Sprinkle the mixture with Pepper and transfer to a shallow 3 quart baking dish.  Sprinkle the dish with the Corn Flakes.

                 Bake the casserole for 45 minutes until it’s hot and bubbly.  Aquaman absolutely loved it!

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.