This Recipe is part of the Prairie Feast Pioneer Woman Cooks Menu
Tenderloin, as the name suggests, is the most tender cut of beef there, and holds the distinction of being one of the only cuts of beef that can be cut with a fork. Lean and flavourful, tenderloin is also very pricey, making it more appropriate for special-occasion gatherings than for a typical weeknight dinner. I usually whip it out for cowgirl gatherings, since the men around here usually prefer rib-eye steaks on the grill.
Not that tenderloin is beneath the guys. Whether they have their own steaks or not, they’ll invariably wander toward the platter of sliced tenderloin, stealing pieces here and there until us womenfolk slap their hands. Tenderloin is totally irresistible.
If you have any left over at the end of the evening, roasted tenderloin keeps in the fridge for a couple of days. And let me tell you, cold tenderloin straight out of the fridge is one of life’s delicacies.
Ingredients
One 6- to 7-lb whole beef tenderloin or two 3-lb beef tenderloin butts
2 tbsp kosher salt
3 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp bacon grease (everyone in the South has a jar in the fridge – make that a New Year’s resolution along with “get more exercise”)
1 tbsp butter
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450˚F.
2. First, we need to trim the fat from the surface of the tenderloin. I use a very sharp knife and gently pull the fat away from the meat as I cut.
3. Sometimes you have to cut between the meat layers to remove the larger pieces.
4. Mostly you want to focus on removing the silvery membrane on the top of the meat.
5. Don’t worry about removing every last bit of fat; some fat contributes to the overall flavour. Just get the larger chunks and you’ll be fine. Discard the fat, or feed it to your dog if you want a friend for life.
6. Now, in a medium bowl, combine the salt and pepper. Add the sugar, which provides good depth and counterbalance to the other savory ingredients.
7. Drizzle in olive oil.
8. Finally, add the bacon grease. I’d love to tell you this ingredient is optional, but that would be wrong! The bacon grease adds deliciousness that can’t be duplicated. Stir the mixture and set it aside.
9. Heat a heavy skillet over very high heat. Add the butter and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the pan is very hot, place the tenderloin in it. Sear both sides for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, until the sides start to brown.
10. Place the meat on a baking pan fitted with a roasting rack and pour the seasoning/bacon grease mixture over the top. Rub the seasoning mixture into the meat with your fingers, making sure it coats evenly.
Insert a meat thermometer sideways into the thickest part of the meat and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the thermometer registers 120 to 125˚F. Do not overcook! The meat will continue cooking for a few minutes after it comes out of the oven.
11. Remove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing.
Serves 8-10
Recipe and photograph excerpted from Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond. Published by HarperCollins Canada. Copyright 2009 by Ree Drummond. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the book now!
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