Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
User Reviews
5.0
117 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
15 mins
-
Cook Time
1 hr
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Overnight salting (optional, recommended)
2 hrs
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Servings
4 - 5 people
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Calories
845 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
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Recipe video above. This recipe uses a simple but highly effective, low-risk slow-roasting technique for evenly cooked tenderloin that's blushing pink from edge to edge. No thick overcooked band!A slather of garlic-thyme-butter gives the beef a tasty crust, and the drippings from roasting are used to make a magnificent creamy mushroom sauce. Marsala, an Italian fortified wine you can pick up cheaply, is the secret ingredient in the sauce for a luxurious edge of flavour. But if you need to be alcohol free, see recipe notes.Please get a meat thermometer to take the guess work out! It's far cheaper than the beef. (Note 4)PRO TIP: Season the beef the night before for best results. (Note 5)
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Ingredients
Beef:
- 1 - 1.25kg/ 2 - 2.5lb centre cut beef tenderloin (eye fillet), tied (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Garlic-Thyme-Butter-Slather:
- 75g/ 5 tbsp unsalted butter , softened
- 1 tsp garlic , finely grated or very finely minced with a knife
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves , finely chopped (Note 2)
- 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Creamy mushroom sauce:
- 150g/5 oz white mushrooms , sliced 3mm thick
- 1/2 tsp garlic , finely minced
- 1 thyme sprig (Note 2)
- 3/4 cup marsala , Italian fortified wine (Note 3)
- 1/2 cup chicken stock , low sodium
- 3/4 cup thickened cream (heavy cream)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Prep beef - Pat beef dry with paper towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper all over. Place the beef on a rack on a tray then refrigerate uncovered 12 to 24 hours. (Can skip, Note 5)
- Butter Slather - Mix Butter Slather ingredients in a bowl.
- De-chill - Remove the beef from the fridge 2 hours prior to cooking. This helps the beef cook evenly.
- Sear - Heat oil in an ovenproof heavy based pan over high heat until smoking. (Note 6) Brown the surface of the beef all over, aggressively and quickly. Then put the beef back on the rack to cool for 15 minutes (so the butter doesn't instantly melt when you put it on).
- Preheat oven to 120°C/250°F (both fan and standard ovens) (Note 7).
- Butter - Put beef back in cooled skillet. Slather 3/4 of the butter onto the beef - top and sides (not underside).
- Roast 40 - 50 minutes - Roast for 15 minutes. Remove, slather remaining butter onto the top and sides. Roast for a further 25 - 35 minutes or until the internal temperature is 53°C/127°F for medium rare (Note 8 for other levels of doneness).
- Rest & serve - Remove beef from the skillet onto a cutting board and rest for 10 minutes. The internal temperature will rise 56-58°C / 133-136°F (this is medium rare). Slice thickly and serve with Creamy Mushroom Sauce!
Creamy mushroom sauce
- Roasting juices - Pour all juices in skillet into a bowl or jug. The fat will rise to the surface. Pour off 1/4 cup (60ml) of the fat back into the skillet (reserve the rest for later).
- Cook mushrooms - Turn the stove onto high. Once the butter is hot, add mushrooms and cook until they start to sweat. Then add thyme and garlic, and cook for a further 2 minutes until the mushrooms are softened.
- Sauce - Add chicken stock/broth and reduce by half. Add marsala, cream, pepper and remaining reserved roasting juices. Simmer on medium / medium high for 5 minutes until it reduces by half and the sauce is thickened. Taste - it should be slightly on the salty side (which will seem just right with each mouthful of beef). Add more salt if needed. Serve with beef.
Notes
- Beef tenderloin - centre cut is the best part of the tenderloin for roasting. Thickest and even width so it cooks evenly. It's best if tied so it holds its shape better, but not the end of the world if not. See in post about economical options. Smaller tenderloin works fine for this recipe but the roasting time will differ - just take it out when it reaches the target Pull Temperature (note 8).
- You can save a lot by buying a whole beef tenderloin, trim and cut it yourself. See separate post for step by step here.
- Beef quality - See the box in post about beef quality and price, grain v grass fed.
- Thyme - Fresh is better than dried in this recipe. But you can substitute with 1/2 tsp dried thyme crushed in your fingers to make it a powder for the butter rub. Skip the thyme in the sauce (not as essential and dried will leave unsightly specks in the sauce).
- Marsala is an Italian fortified wine (like port), you can get a 750ml/25oz bottles for $10 or less. No need to get an expensive one! Key flavouring – depth of flavour, complexity, warmth and touch of sweetness. Use dry marsala, not sweet (check label). Use leftover for Marsala chicken. Sub with port wine, sherry, or madeira, or white wine. For non alcoholic version, substitute with low sodium chicken stock/broth.
- Meat thermometer - I use a Thermapen these days (read my thoughts here!) but before that I used this $10 one.
- Overnight salting recommended for best results, seasons meat all the way through. If you don't have time, skip this step. It's still phenomenal! Read more in post about benefits of overnight salting.
- Cooking vessel - I use my Lodge cast iron skillet, 26 cm / 10.5".
- Oven - Typically, fan ovens are 20°C lower than standard for the same cooking speed. But at lower temperatures I find this not to be the case. Discovered this during 12 hour lamb testing!
- Internal temperature - Different levels of doneness. Medium rare is best! Be sure to take the beef out of the oven at the Pull Temperature.
- Leftovers will keep for 3 days. Freezing not recommended.
- Nutrition per serving, assuming all sauce is consumed.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
845cal
(42%)
Carbohydrates
4g
(1%)
Protein
39g
(78%)
Fat
72g
(111%)
Saturated Fat
34g
(170%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
4g
Monounsaturated Fat
27g
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
213mg
(71%)
Sodium
934mg
(39%)
Potassium
810mg
(23%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Vitamin A
930IU
(19%)
Vitamin C
2mg
(2%)
Calcium
52mg
(5%)
Iron
5mg
(28%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4- 5 people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 845 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 845cal | 42% |
| Carbohydrates | 4g | 1% |
| Protein | 39g | 78% |
| Fat | 72g | 111% |
| Saturated Fat | 34g | 170% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 27g | 135% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 213mg | 71% |
| Sodium | 934mg | 39% |
| Potassium | 810mg | 17% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 930IU | 19% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 52mg | 5% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
117 reviews
Excellent
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