Ingredients
- 1 lb beef tenderloin (chateaubriand)
- 1 medium shallot, chopped finely
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened and separated
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup dry red wine (medium bodied, i.e. 12.5% to 13.5% alcohol content)
- ½ cup demi-glace / beef consomme / beef broth
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped (or 2 tsp if dried)
- Freshly ground salt & pepper, to taste
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C / 375 F / Gas Mark 5.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper, making sure that this is done evenly.
- Take a large cast iron grill pan. Melt 2 tbsp of butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat until cloudy and bubbly.
- Next, place the seasoned beef in the pan and brown for 3 minutes without moving it. After 3 minutes, use tongs to carefully turn the beef on its side and brown for 3 minutes more. Continue to repeat this process until all exposed surfaces of the beef have been covered.
- Once fully browned, transfer the beef onto a rack placed within a roasting pan. Then pop the roasting pan into the oven. [NB: Make sure you keep the juices within the grill pan - these are needed to make the sauce.]
- Roast the beef as required: approx. 15 minutes for medium-rare, approx. 20 minutes for medium, and approx. 23 minutes for medium-well.
- Remove the beef from the oven and transfer onto a serving plate; then lightly cover it over with tin foil and let it rest for 15 minutes. [NB: This rest period allows the meat juices to be reabsorbed and redistributed within the meat, which will enable you to slice it cleanly.]
- To make the wine sauce: Add the shallot to the juices in the grill pan and saute over a medium heat until soft and translucent.
- Then, add the wine, and bring the sauce to a boil. [NB: Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan so that these are included in the sauce.]
- Continue boiling the sauce until it reduces to half its original volume.
- Next, add the demi-glace (or alternative) to the sauce and continue boiling the mixture until slightly thickened.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tbsp of softened butter, along with the tarragon.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed.
- Finally, slice the meat diagonally and serve with the red wine sauce. Delicious.