Beef tenderloin…whether served for Christmas or other special-occasion dinner, served sliced with rolls for a cocktail party, or devoured as a leftover…is the ultimate hit for the meat-lover. However, we belles are often at a loss as to the best, most foolproof way to prepare this beefy delicacy…and at the price of an arm and a leg per pound, we certainly don’t want to risk ruining it!  (one belle in particular is pretty famous among her family for being very good at ruining dinner…it’s that adult-onset ADD kicking in…).

So…we went on a search about a year ago for a no-fail way to prepare a tenderloin to suit all tastes (super-rare to over-done) and came up with what we have found to be the gold-standard prep.  We have prepared it this way time after time with surprising success, and…not to brag…to rave reviews! We feel guilty taking any credit…we just follow the directions and the rest takes care of its tender, juicy self!

 

The Belles’ Foolproof Party Tenderloin 

1 beef tenderloin, trimmed (about 5 pounds)
1 bottle Allegro marinade
1 package Char Crust roasted garlic peppercorn rub

Marinate beef overnight in bottle of Allegro (we use a giant ziploc bag…works perfectly)

Almost as early as you wish on serving day, heat oven to 475 degrees, with one rack set in the center. Remove tenderloin from marinade and seer all sides on a hot grill or griddle, giving it a quick coat of color.

Place tenderloin in a shallow roasting pan, then sprinkle evenly and thoroughly with the Char Crust seasoning, making sure to rub it in to coat completely.

Now, for the most important part…get a timer and follow step-by-step:

–  once oven is heated, place tenderloin in to roast for 15 minutes
–  without opening oven door, turn off the heat
–  let stand in the oven for another 15 minutes
–  remove pan and place on rack
–  cover loosely with foil and let stand at least 30 minutes before slicing

At this point, we have left the tenderloin “resting” for a couple of hours…plenty of time to shower, set the table, put out fresh flowers, etc…

Just slice when ready to serve and bask in the accolades!!

We recently served this at a dinner party with The Barefoot Contessa’s Spinach Gratin (not a proper dinner party without Ina’s touch), goat cheese mashed potatoes, and a delish green salad. An excellent and belleicious way to spend an evening with friends…

Get cookin’, belles
a&a