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Roast Beef Tenderloin

Roast beef tenderloin is a special-occasion meat even though it is about the simplest cut to prepare. Here’s the basic method plus a wonderful variation.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 8 servings

Ingredients

One 3-pound beef tenderloin, trimmed
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon dried rosemary

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Position the oven racks so that the top rack is in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to convection roast at 400°F. Coat the rack of a shallow roasting pan with nonstick spray.

    Step 2

    Rub the beef with the olive oil and then with the salt, garlic, and rosemary. Place in the roasting pan and roast in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the oven probe or an instant-read thermometer registers 125°F for rare or 135°F for medium. Remove the beef from the oven and cover with a piece of foil.

    Step 3

    Let the beef rest, covered, for 10 minutes before carving. The temperature will rise as the beef rests.

  2. Roast Beef Tenderloin with Peppercorn Mustard Crust

    Step 4

    Place 1 tablespoon each of whole black peppercorns, coriander seeds, and mustard seed in a spice grinder or coffee grinder and grind until coarse. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Rub the beef with 1 teaspoon olive oil and then coat it with the spice mixture. Roast as directed above. While the beef roasts, mix 1 cup sour cream with 1/3 cup freshly grated horseradish. Stir in 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Serve the sauce with the beef.

From Cooking with Convection by Beatrice Ojankangas. Copyright (c) 2005 by Beatrice Ojankangas. Published by Broadway Books. Beatrice Ojakangas has written more than a dozen cookbooks, including Beatrice Ojakangas' Great Holiday Baking Book, Beatrice Ojakangas' Light and Easy Baking, Pot Pies, Quick Breads, Light Desserts, The Finnish Cookbook, and The Great Scandinavian Baking Book. Beatrice works as a consultant for Pillsbury and other major food companies, teaches cooking classes, and writes for various food magazines. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.
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