Beef Tenderloin

Beef tenderloin, roasted to tender and juicy perfection, is a delicious little splurge and a gorgeous offering for any occasion worthy of a celebration. My beef tenderloin recipe is liberally seasoned with a fragrant mixture of Dijon mustard and a trio of fresh herbs and cracked pepper to create a savory outer crust and flavorfully juicy, medium-rare center!

A Succulent Roast for Special Occasions

For our family, the holidays and special occasions are times to celebrate and take pleasure in what lifts our spirits and brings us joy.

Good food is always on the menu during festive times, as a special meal has a way of bringing us together and connecting us.

Whether only a small handful of us or a slightly larger group, we all really love to gather around the table with reverence to enjoy good conversation and a fabulous meal prepared with love, care and some extra special ingredients.

Beef tenderloin is the epitome of what I consider a special ingredient, one that is a bit more on the pricy side yet makes for an exquisite “splurge” to indulge in when merriment is high as is the desire to create a truly magical dining experience at home.

My beef tenderloin recipe is delectably savory, earthy and aromatic, roasted in a hot oven until a tender and juicy medium-rare center is achieved, along with a crisp crust from a fragrant herb and crushed pepper mixture.

Wonderfully easy to prepare, beef tenderloin has a rich, beefy flavor with a divine, melt-in-the-mouth texture. And when sliced thickly and served with hot, fluffy mashed or roasted potatoes, it becomes a meal you won't soon forget, a bit of an indulgent dining experience, absolutely brimming with magic and TLC.

How to Cook Beef Tenderloin to Juicy, Flavorful Perfection

Beef tenderloin is a very lean yet extremely tender cut of beef, which makes it so desirable to prepare and enjoy.

The wonderful thing about beef tenderloin is while it may seem a bit daunting, it is actually extremely easy to prepare at home with results that are extremely flavorful and aromatic.

When it comes to the size of the beef tenderloin, I typically ask my butcher for a cut that is about 3 ½ pounds, which serves approximately eight people. I also ask the butcher to tie the roast up to help give it some shape during the roasting process, so that I have less to fiddle with when I'm ready to prepare the recipe.

Because this cut of beef is so delicious, it's understandable why some purists will say that only a liberal sprinkle of salt and pepper is enough to season beef tenderloin. But for a slightly more flavorful presentation, I like to give it a bit of a more aromatic and flavorful twist, one that I find only enhances the flavor of the beef…

Because I happen to love a crisp, outer crust, I like to spread a touch of Dijon mustard over the entire tenderloin before pressing into it a mixture of chopped thyme, parsley and rosemary combined with garlic, olive oil, sea salt and lots of cracked black pepper.

This gives the beef tenderloin a wonderfully fragrant aroma, penetrating into the center for lots of savoriness.

Then, all that's left is to roast it in a high-temp oven until the internal temperature of the beef tenderloin reaches 120°-125° for rare, 130°-135° for medium-rare, and 135°-140° for medium doneness.

Here's a sneak peek at my beef tenderloin recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To begin, I preheat my oven to 475°, and line a baking sheet with foil as well as a wire rack placed over top.
2. I season my tied beef tenderloin by spreading some Dijon mustard over the entire outside, and then spread or press my mixture of fresh herbs, garlic, salt, cracked pepper and olive oil over the entire outside as well.
3. Next, I place the seasoned beef tenderloin onto the wire rack, and place an oven-safe, digital thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Then, I place the beef into the oven (the rack on the middle/upper third of the oven) and cook until the thermometer reads between 125° to 130° for medium-rare, roughly 40-45 minutes.
4. I allow the beef tenderloin to rest, lightly tented with foil, for 10 minutes. When ready to serve, I slice thickly and place onto a platter to serve with desired sides.

Recipe

Beef Tenderloin

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This beef tenderloin with herb-pepper crust is deliciously flavorful, tender and juicy, a terrific pick for the holidays or a festive meal!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 8

Nutrition Info: 677 calories per serving

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 small cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 tablespoon finely-chopped, fresh parsley
• 1 ½ teaspoons chopped, fresh thyme leaves
• ¾ teaspoon chopped, fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 ½ pound beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 475°, line a baking sheet with foil, and place a wire rack over the baking sheet.
2. In a small dish or ramekin, combine the garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary, sea salt, cracked black pepper and olive oil, and mix together to form a paste; set aside.
3. Place the beef tenderloin onto a work surface, and rub the Dijon mustard all over the outside; rub/spread the herb-pepper mixture over top of the Dijon, all over the outside of the meat, getting under the strings that are tying the beef.
4. Next, place the beef tenderloin onto the wire rack, insert an oven-safe, digital thermometer into the center of the thickest part of the beef, and place into the oven.
5. Allow the beef tenderloin to cook to until it reaches an internal temperature of between 125° to 130° for medium-rare doneness (or go to your desired temp for your preferred level of doneness), roughly 40-45 minutes. (Do not rely on estimated cooking time, always rely on the internal temp for proper doneness.)
6. Once roasted, allow the beef tenderloin to rest for 10 minutes, loosely covered with foil; then, slice thickly, place onto a platter and serve with your desired sides.

Tips & Tidbits for my Beef Tenderloin with Herb-Pepper Crust:

• Ask the butcher to tie the beef tenderloin: When purchasing a beef tenderloin, the butcher will typically ask me if I'd like to have the beef tied to help keep its shape during roasting, which is helpful. I appreciate this as it's one less thing to have to do. But if for some reason your butcher does not do this, then very simply use kitchen twine cut into six 6" to 7” pieces to tie around the tenderloin and secure it a bit.
• Season and marinate overnight for extra flavor: If you'd like the flavor to be a bit more intense, then season the beef tenderloin and allow it to marinate for at least 4 hours or even overnight before roasting. Otherwise, you can season and roast immediately.
• Let the beef tenderloin come to room temp before roasting: If your beef tenderloin has been in the fridge, then take it out a few hours before you're ready to roast it to allow for it to come to room temp. If it's too cold on the inside, know that it will take a bit longer to roast and come to the correct internal temp for serving.
• Allow the beef tenderloin to rest after roasting: Allowing the meat to rest after removing it from the oven will allow the juices to redistribute into the beef and not pour out quite so much once sliced. A good amount of rest time is 10 minutes.
• Delicious sides to serve with beef tenderloin: Garlic mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes or even cheesy mashed potatoes are delicious served with beef tenderloin, as is a wedge salad made with homemade blue cheese dressing!

Craving more delicious beef recipes? Check out this Cowboy Ribeye Steak, this Braised Beef with Mixed Mushrooms, this Beef Barley Soup, this Pot Roast, or this Steak and Ale Soup with Mushrooms!