Make a slow roasted beef tenderloin with creamy mushroom sauce for your next holiday meal or special occasion. An elegant meal that's sure to impress, this beef tenderloin is perfectly cooked and tender, with a flavorful mushroom sauce.
Recipe summary
Flavor: Tender, juicy beef tenderloin is topped with a rich, creamy mushroom sauce.
Technique: This recipe involves wrapping a tenderloin with butcher's twine and dry brining for 24 hours in the refrigerator. The next day, the tenderloin is slow roasted until tender and pink inside, then reverse seared under the oven broiler to create a crunchy, browned crust.
Optional sauce: I've included my recipe for creamy mushroom sauce in the recipe card below. It's rich and savory, with notes of garlic, thyme, and parmesan cheese.
Great for: An impressive holiday or special occasion meal. Popular for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Serve with: Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus or Perfect Baked Potatoes
Jump to:
Ingredients and substitutions
- Whole beef tenderloin - A whole beef tenderloin includes three parts: The butt end (the thickest end that often includes a "wing" piece to one side), the center cut (also called the chateaubriand, the most tender part), and the tip end (which is tapered).
- Salt and pepper - Adds mild, savory flavor to your beef tenderloin.
- Butcher's twine (Amazon) - Wrapping your tenderloin in twine holds the meat in place and creates an even size and shape from end to end. This helps the meat cook evenly in the oven.
How to prepare beef tenderloin
- Trim off excess fat, chain silver skin, and chain muscle from your tenderloin. Wrap the tail end underneath itself, then wrap in 1 to 2 inch segments with butcher's twine (like shown above).
- Generously season all over with salt and pepper and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24-48 hours. This process (called dry brining) deeply seasons your meat and dries the outer layer to create a nice brown crust when roasted.
- The next day, bring your tenderloin to room temperature for 2 hours while the oven preheats. Roast until internal temperature reaches your desired doneness (use an instant read thermometer).
- Turn on the broiler to reverse-sear your tenderloin and create a crispy brown crust.
- Cut off and discard twine, slice into 1 inch steaks, and serve with prepared sauce.
More visual aids
Are you a visual learner? Here are a few videos that may help:
- Get Out and Grill!: How to prep a whole beef tenderloin
- The Virtual Weber Bullet: Preparing a beef tenderloin
- Martha Stewart: Tying Beef Tenderloin
Tips and tricks
Meat thermometer - Use a meat thermometer to test your tenderloin for doneness. This ensures your meat is cooked exactly to your liking and doesn't get ruined by overcooking or undercooking. Here's a thermometer similar to the one I use: ThermoPro Digital Thermometer with Stainless Steel Probe
Bring to room temperature - Bring your tenderloin to room temperature before placing it in the oven. A cold tenderloin will take significantly longer to cook through and will cook unevenly (the outside will be done long before the center).
Use the broiler - Since this cut of meat is so large, it can be difficult to sear on the stove top. Using the broiler is a great alternative to pan searing.
Reduce the sauce - The mushroom sauce doesn't contain any thickening agents, like flour or cornstarch, and will look quite thin. Once you've added your heavy cream, reduce the sauce for several minutes to help it thicken.
Don't skip the parmesan - The addition of parmesan cheese not only adds a savory, salty flavor, but also helps to thicken the sauce slightly.
Allow the sauce to rest - A few minutes off the heat will also help your sauce thicken even more.
Frequently asked questions
Roasting can take anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 hours, depending on the size, shape, and thickness of your tenderloin. Use a meat thermometer for perfect results.
Roast your tenderloin until the internal temperature reaches 5 degrees below desired doneness. The temperature will continue to rise out of the oven.
- Rare: 125 degrees (remove at 120 degrees)
- Medium-rare: 135 degrees (remove at 130 degrees)
- Medium: 145 degrees (remove at 140 degrees)
- Medium-well: 150 degrees (remove at 145 degrees)
Use a meat thermometer. It's not worth risking an expensive cut of meat by relying on time alone. A meat thermometer ensures your tenderloin is cooked to your ideal temperature in the center.
Amazon - ThermoPro Digital Thermometer with Stainless Steel Probe
Leftover beef tenderloin can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container.
If your beef tenderloin has been sliced into thick, one inch or larger steaks - bring your steaks to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then, give them a quick sear in a preheated skillet with a little oil, about 1 minute on each side.
Leftover tenderloin can also be cubed and tossed into a beef stroganoff, or thinly sliced to make a steak sandwich with sauteed onions and melted cheese.
I'd recommend potatoes (baked or mashed) and a lighter vegetable, like asparagus. Here are a few side dish ideas:
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- Roasted potatoes and asparagus
- Strawberry walnut salad
- Kale cranberry salad
- Perfect baked potatoes
- Grilled broccolini
- Gruyere potatoes au gratin
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Slow Roasted Beef Tenderloin
Ingredients
Beef tenderloin
- 4-5 pound whole beef tenderloin
- butcher's twine
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Creamy mushroom sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 ounces beef broth
- 8 ounces heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Beef tenderloin: 24-48 hours in advance
- Line a half baking sheet with foil and top with an oven-safe cooling rack. Set aside.
- Trim off excess fat, silver skin, and the chain muscle of your beef tenderloin. Wrap the thin tail end underneath itself to make tenderloin even in size across. Wrap tenderloin in butchers twine, in 1 to 2 inch segments, using the butchers twine to make the tenderloin as even in size as possible.
- Generously season your tenderloin all over with salt and pepper. Place onto the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered for 24-48 hours. This process, called dry brining, deeply seasons the meat and dries the outer layer to create a crispy, brown crust when roasted.
Beef tenderloin: day of cooking
- Remove tenderloin from refrigerator to bring to room temperature for 2 hours. This allows the roast to cook evenly in the oven.
- Preheat oven to 225℉.
- Transfer tenderloin to the oven. Roast until internal temperature reaches 5 degrees below desired doneness (temperature will continue to rise out of the oven):- Rare: 125 degrees (remove at 120 degrees)- Medium-rare: 135 degrees (remove at 130 degrees)- Medium: 145 degrees (remove at 140 degrees)- Medium-well: 150 degrees (remove at 145 degrees)Test for doneness using a meat thermometer in the center of your tenderloin. Roasting will take anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 hours, depending on the size, shape, and thickness of your tenderloin.
- Adjust oven rack so that tenderloin will be 6 inches below broiler. Preheat broiler on high. Return tenderloin to oven and broil for 30 seconds on each side, or until browned and crispy, using tongs to rotate the tenderloin.
- Remove from oven and allow to set for 10 minutes, undisturbed. (Meanwhile, prepare the mushroom sauce below).
- Cut off and discard twine. Slice tenderloin into 1 inch steaks.
Creamy mushroom sauce
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Add beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze, until most of beef broth has cooked down. Add heavy cream, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Bring sauce to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally, until sauce reduces slightly and begins to thicken, about 3-4 minutes. Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted.
- Remove pan from heat and allow to set for 5 minutes to thicken slightly. This sauce is very rich and on the thin side. A little goes a long way.
- Drizzle a few spoonfuls of sauce over prepared tenderloin steaks and serve immediately.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Doneness of beef: Here is a great resource to visualize the degrees of doneness for your beef: Degree of Doneness - Certified Angus Beef
- Storage: Leftover beef tenderloin can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container.
- Use a meat thermometer: Use a meat thermometer to ensure this expensive cut of meat doesn't get overcooked in the oven. A thermometer ensures your tenderloin is cooked perfectly in the center every time.
Comments
No Comments