Yield: 4 servings
Active preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Sauce Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small carrot, chopped
½ small onion, chopped
½ leek, thinly sliced, white part only
1 small shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1½ teaspoons crushed mixed peppercorns (black, green, and/or pink)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
½ bay leaf
2 tablespoons cognac, optional
2 tablespoons red wine, optional
1½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups low-sodium, store-bought beef stock or broth
Beef Ingredients:
1 piece, beef tenderloin, 1½ to 2 pounds, center cut, trimmed and tied at 1-inch intervals with kitchen string
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Procedure:
■ Preheat the oven lo 425 degrees.
■ Heat the oil in a small, heavy-bottomed sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onions, leeks, shallots, garlic and peppercorns, and saute" until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the thyme and bay leaf and cook for 30 seconds.
■ Pour in the cognac and red wine, if using. Bring to a boil and continue to boil until almost completely reduced, about 3 minutes.
■ Pour in the vinegar and stock, raise heat to high, bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer until reduced to one-third, about 20 minutes.
■ Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Discard the solids. Set aside and keep
warm.
■ Make the tenderloin: Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.
■ Heat the oil in a large, heavy oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the tenderloin until
browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.
■ Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted to the center
of the tenderloin reads 140 degrees for medium-rare. 20 to 25 minutes, or longer for more well done.
■ Transfer the tenderloin to a cutting board and let rest for about 7 minutes.
■ While the tenderloin is resting, place the hot skillet (wrap a pot holder around the handle) over medium-high heat. Ladle in cup of the sauce into the hot pan and cook, scraping the bottom of
the pan to loosen any flavorful bits. Bring to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine-
mesh strainer and stir into the sauce.
■ To serve: Snip off and discard the kitchen string from the tenderloin and slice the tenderloin into ½ inch slices. Place 2 or 3 slices on each of 4 dinner plates. Spoon some sauce over each serving and pass any remaining sauce alongside in a sauceboat.
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Sauce Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small carrot, chopped
½ small onion, chopped
½ leek, thinly sliced, white part only
1 small shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1½ teaspoons crushed mixed peppercorns (black, green, and/or pink)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
½ bay leaf
2 tablespoons cognac, optional
2 tablespoons red wine, optional
1½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups low-sodium, store-bought beef stock or broth
Beef Ingredients:
1 piece, beef tenderloin, 1½ to 2 pounds, center cut, trimmed and tied at 1-inch intervals with kitchen string
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
■ Preheat the oven lo 425 degrees.
■ Heat the oil in a small, heavy-bottomed sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onions, leeks, shallots, garlic and peppercorns, and saute" until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the thyme and bay leaf and cook for 30 seconds.
■ Pour in the cognac and red wine, if using. Bring to a boil and continue to boil until almost completely reduced, about 3 minutes.
■ Pour in the vinegar and stock, raise heat to high, bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer until reduced to one-third, about 20 minutes.
■ Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Discard the solids. Set aside and keep
warm.
■ Make the tenderloin: Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.
■ Heat the oil in a large, heavy oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the tenderloin until
browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.
■ Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted to the center
of the tenderloin reads 140 degrees for medium-rare. 20 to 25 minutes, or longer for more well done.
■ Transfer the tenderloin to a cutting board and let rest for about 7 minutes.
■ While the tenderloin is resting, place the hot skillet (wrap a pot holder around the handle) over medium-high heat. Ladle in cup of the sauce into the hot pan and cook, scraping the bottom of
the pan to loosen any flavorful bits. Bring to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine-
mesh strainer and stir into the sauce.
■ To serve: Snip off and discard the kitchen string from the tenderloin and slice the tenderloin into ½ inch slices. Place 2 or 3 slices on each of 4 dinner plates. Spoon some sauce over each serving and pass any remaining sauce alongside in a sauceboat.
Recipe Type: Authentic
Recipe Author: Chef Walter Scheib, Former White House Chef
Chef's Background: Former White House Chef
Recipe Source: http://www.theamericanchef.com/PDFs/wsg_article.pdf