Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Dijon Cream Sauce

This slow-roasted beef tenderloin is tender, juicy, and pretty much melt-in-your-mouth amazing. 

Serve it with a delicious red wine Dijon cream sauce for an elegant combination of flavors.... or skip the sauce and serve it sliced and sprinkled with a bit of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to fully appreciate the amazing tender slices of beef. 

Beef tenderloin is from one of the least used muscles of beef, and is, therefore, super tender. While I'm not a beef expert, I do know that this cut is wonderful for special occasion and celebration dinners.  

Plus, the tenderloin is the same cut from which you get chateaubriand (center) and filet mignon steaks (smaller end), both "luxury" cuts of beef. 

It's also easy to prepare, and slow roasting results in perfectly medium-rare beef from end to end. 

Ingredient Notes:

For this recipe, you will need a two to three pound center cut beef tenderloin that has been trimmed by your butcher. I used a choice cut of beef, and it was just as good if not better than prime rib. 

The only other ingredients you will need to prepare the beef are kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus a little bit of olive oil to "reverse sear" the meat after roasting it. If you adore pepper (like I do) you could also coat the meat with smashed whole peppercorns instead of the ground black pepper. Just don't skip the salt. 

For the sauce, you will need some red wine, Dijon mustard, butter, cream, and minced shallots. I also like to add a few drops of Maggi Seasoning Sauce (optional) for a bit of umami.  

Tips for Making This Beef Tenderloin:

First, use kitchen twine to tie the roast. This helps keep the shape uniform so it cooks evenly. Note: I still haven't mastered the butcher's knot, so I just tie a square knot and use kitchen shears to cut off the twine before serving. 

Regarding the cooking time, depending on your oven, the thickness and size of your roast, the time can vary. My roast took about two hours to reach 125 degrees F, but it could take more or less time. You know your oven, and if you know that your Thanksgiving turkey is usually ready early, plan on your roast being ready early. 

Be sure to check the temperature of the meat often. My oven has a probe that will let me know when the roast has fully cooked. I love this feature!

If you don't have a thermometer probe feature with your oven, if you can, get a blue tooth-type probe thermometer, which is pretty helpful too. Otherwise, an instant read thermometer is the next best thing. 

If your roast is fully cooked early, you can keep it warm on the kitchen counter by wrapping it with foil, and, if you need more time, leave it in the turned off oven that is still warm. Just keep checking the temperature. 

Once the roast is done, and if the timing works for you, let it rest for about 5 minutes before "reverse searing" it. 

One more thing to remember... you will need to salt your roast and leave it in the refrigerator, uncovered, overnight. While you have to plan ahead, the results are pretty magical. 

I first tried this slow roasting method after making a roast beef from an inexpensive cut of meat for a sandwich featuring handmade baguettes. I really love the way the beef is cooked uniformly, almost like sous vide. 

Why not try it on a pricey cut of beef? The results were amazing. 

Alternatively, if you are pressed for time, you can cook this roast in a 450 degree F for about 20 to 30 minutes. The tenderloin will be medium rare in the middle and medium to well done on the edges. 

It will still be tender, juicy, and delicious. See the example in photo #4 above. I have made this roast both ways. 

Steps to Make the Red Wine Dijon Cream Sauce:

Step 1: First, reverse-sear the meat in olive oil in a skillet. What is reverse-sear? That means, you brown the meat after you have roasted it. 

Step 2: Deglaze the pan with red wine. 

Step 3: In the meantime, cook butter, shallots, Dijon mustard, and cream in a sauce pan and then add the red wine deglazed mixture. Cook everything together until the sauce slightly darkens. 

Alternatively, if you decide to roast the meat in high heat, sear it first and then make the sauce while the meat is in the oven. 

What to Serve With this Beef Tenderloin:

We enjoyed this with smashed potatoes, and a salad. 

It would also be delicious with garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, sautéed carrots, and popovers.  

This is an updated post, originally published in November, 2012. 

I've included new photos, an updated recipe, and a recipe card. This recipe is adapted from my friends' Deirdre and Paul's food blog, East of the Equator Cafe. They are both unabashed lovers of good food, wine, and recipes. 

Use their recipe for the quick roasting method. 

More Beefy Recipes You May Also Like:

Guinness Beef Stew

Beef on Weck

Vietnamese Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Barbecued Beef Brisket

The Un-Massachusetts Roast Beef Sandwich (another recipe with slow-roasted roast beef, but with a much less expensive cut of beef)

Meaty Recipes from the Sunday Funday Group:

• A Modern Hippie Pot Roast by Culinary Cam
• Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Dijon Cream Sauce by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Braised Beef with Sauerkraut and Sizzling Potatoes by Palatable Pastime
• Chicken Daube by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Roman-Style Meatloaf by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Spicy Pork Gravy - Kerala Style by Sneha’s Recipe

Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Dijon Cream Sauce

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 2 HourInactive time: 12 HourTotal time: 14 H & 30 M

This slow-roasted beef tenderloin is tender, juicy, and pretty much melt-in-your-mouth amazing.

Ingredients

• 1 - 2 to 3 pound beef tenderloin
• 2 to 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh shallots
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. The day before roasting the tenderloin, dry it with paper towels.
2. Tie the roast with evenly spaced twine (about 1 inch apart) to create an evenly rounded roast.
3. Generously coat the roast with the kosher salt and black pepper.
4. Place the roast on a quarter sheet pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.
5. When ready to bake the tenderloin, heat the oven to 225 degrees F.
6. Insert a meat thermometer into the roast and bake, uncovered, until the roast reaches 125 degrees F, about 90 minutes to 2 hours, depending on your roast size and oven. It could possibly go longer. Watch closely.
7. Remove the roast from the oven, tent it with foil, and let it rest for five minutes.
8. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat. Sear the meat in the pan - approximately one minute per "side."
9. Once each side has been browned, move the roast to a cutting board, remove the twine, and tent the roast with foil to rest for about 15 minutes.
10. Pour the wine into the skillet to deglaze it and scrape up all of the brown bits and pan drippings.
11. In a separate sauce pan or saucier, melt the butter over medium heat and add the shallots
12. Add the mustard and cream and bring it to a simmer. Add the deglazed pan drippings.
13. Continue to stir until you fully develop the flavors and the sauce darkens slightly.
14. Slice the meat into medallions and serve with the sauce.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

555.15

Fat (grams)

47.02

Sat. Fat (grams)

20.67

Carbs (grams)

1.39

Fiber (grams)

0.19

Net carbs

1.21

Sugar (grams)

0.76

Protein (grams)

28.04

Sodium (milligrams)

900

Cholesterol (grams)

135.83

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2012/11/beef-tenderloin-with-red-wine-dijon.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

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