Roast Beef Tenderloin w/Mushroom Madeira Sauce
How about a test run for the upcoming holidays. Serving perfectly roasted beef tenderloin will have your family and guests running to the dinner table. What makes this version special, is Wolfgang Puck’s creamy wine-based mushroom sauce.
Ingredients:
MEAT:
1 (4 lb) whole beef tenderloin roast, preferably the wide end, cut, trimmed, & tied
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled, cut into 1" chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into 1" chunks
2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1" chunks
SAUCE:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 to 4 tbsp butter (or more to taste)
s1/2 lb button mushrooms or a mixture of button mushrooms & shiitakes, quartered or cut into eighths if large
2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Madeira
2 cups chicken stock/broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp bottled barbecue sauce
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley or chives for garnish
Adjust the oven shelf to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400F. Meanwhile, if the butcher hasn’t done this for you, at 1″ intervals, tie kitchen string around the tenderloin’s diameter to give it a uniform, compact shape. Season all over with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat a small, heavy roasting pan or large ovenproof saute pan on top of the stove over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sear the tenderloin until uniformly well browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the tenderloin form the pan.
Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pan, reduce the heat slightly, and saute, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5-7 minutes. Place the tenderloin on top and transfer the pan to the preheated oven. Roast the tenderloin until medium rare, 18 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into its center should register 130F. Remove the tenderloin from the pan and place it on a carving board. Cover with aluminum foil and leave the roast to rest in a warm spot while you prepare the sauce.
While the meat is roasting prepare the sauce. Heat a heavy saute pan or medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. As soon as it is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the butter, the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic. Saute, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are light golden, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Place the roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the Madeira and stir and scrape with a wooden spoon to dissolve the pan deposits. Raise the heat and boil the Madeira until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock/broth and continue to boil until reduced by half, 10 to 12 minutes. Strain the mixture into the pan with the mushrooms (discard the onion, celery, and carrots), stir together and bring to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream and continue boiling the sauce until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and stir in the mustard, barbecue sauce, and, if you wish, another 2 tablespoons butter, a little at a time. Stir until well blended and satiny. Carefully pour in any meat juices that have collected from the resting tenderloin and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
With the tip of a sharp knife, carefully sip off the strings from the roast. Cut the meat across the grain into slices 1/4 to 1/2″ thick. Arrange them on the heated platter or indivdual serving plates, garnish with parsley or chives, and pass the sauce in a heated bowl or sauce boat for guests to help themselves.
