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–+ servings
Beef tenderloin sliced next to a small pitcher with wine sauce

Beef Tenderloin Roast

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 40 minutes
Total 55 minutes
Makes 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

Beef Tenderloin

Red Wine Butter Sauce

Instructions

Prepare the Wine Sauce:

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 5 tablespoons of butter. Add the shallots and cook stirring occasionally for about 5-7 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the wine, beef broth, thyme sprigs, salt, pepper, and sugar, and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for about 35-45 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by about half.
    Melted butter, wine, beef broth and all the ingredients for the Wine Sauce in a pan with a whisk.
  2. While the wine mixture is reducing, place the remaining 3 tablespoons of softened butter in a small bowl and add the flour. Mix the butter and flour until a smooth paste is formed.
    Butter and flour mixed together in a small white bowl.
  3. Once the wine mixture is reduced, remove it from the heat and strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the solids then, return the wine mixture to the saucepan.
    Straining the wine sauce.
  4. Return the saucepan to the stove and simmer over medium-low heat. Gradually, whisk in the flour mixture into the wine mixture and simmer until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
    You can make the sauce up to this point 2 days in advance.
    Wine sauce in a pan with a whisk.

Prepare the Beef Tenderloin:

  1. Remove the beef tenderloin from the refrigerator about an hour before roasting and allow it to sit at room temperature.
  2. Using a thin sharp knife (like a utility or paring knife), trim the silver skin (the silver thin membrane of chewy connective tissue on the beef surface). Then, tie the tenderloin. If one end is more tapered than the other, bend it under the roast and secure it when tying so the roast is an even thickness throughout.
    A trimmed and tied raw piece of beef tenderloin.
  3. Pat dry the beef tenderloin and season it generously with salt and ground black pepper. Let the beef stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Cook the Beef Tenderloin:

  1. Set an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat (a cast iron skillet works well). When the oil is hot, place the roast in the skillet and sear the meat on all but one side until golden brown. With kitchen tongs, turn the meat so that the un-seared side is down.
    Seared Beef on a heavy pan.
  3. Transfer the skillet to the pre-heated oven and roast for about 15 minutes, depending on the size of your roast, until an oven-safe meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin registers 120 degrees Fahrenheit for medium rare, or until your desired doneness is reached. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5 degrees after it is removed from the oven while it is resting, before slicing.
    Roasted Beef on a pan with a meat thermometer.
  4. Transfer the beef roast to a cutting board or platter and allow it to rest, covered loosely with aluminum foil, for about 10 minutes.
    Sliced tenderloin of beef on a cutting board with a container of wine sauce next to it.
  5. Meanwhile, carefully discard some of the fat from the skillet. Set the pan on the stovetop and add the 1/4 cup of beef broth. Bring to a boil and using a wooden spoon scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
  6. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the broth from the skillet to the red wine sauce. Mix to combine and then bring the sauce to a simmer over low heat for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  7. Slice the beef tenderloin and serve with the wine sauce.
    Wine sauce getting poured over beef tenderloin slices.

Notes

Beef Tenderloin Temperature Guide
RARE
Pull the Steak: 120 degrees
Serving Temperature: 125 degrees
MEDIUM-RARE
Pull the Steak: 125 degrees
Serving Temperature: 130 degrees
MEDIUM
Pull the Steak: 135 degrees
Serving Temperature: 140 degrees
WELL DONE: 150 degrees +
  • Roast beef tenderloin is very lean which means it's very easy to over cook it. Make sure you check the internal temperature to prevent overcooking which will result in dry and tough meat.
  • Make sure you remove the silver skin from the tenderloin. This tough layer of connective tissue is tough and often causes the meat to curl up.
  • Season the beef liberally. Tenderloin is a big piece of meat with very mild flavor. Seasoning it properly is a must.
  • Allow the roasted beef tenderloin to rest before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories: 398 kcal, Carbohydrates: 8 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 34 g, Saturated Fat: 16 g, Cholesterol: 60 mg, Sodium: 823 mg, Potassium: 234 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 2 g, Vitamin A: 735 IU, Vitamin C: 2 mg, Calcium: 31 mg, Iron: 1 mg
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