Steakhouse Tenderloin
Tender beef tenderloin steaks with a deep seared crust, finished in the oven to a perfect medium-rare, and served with a rich pan sauce of shallots, red wine, Dijon, Worcestershire, beef broth, and cream. A restaurant-quality dinner in under an hour.
Equipment
- Cast-iron (oven-safe) skillet
- Tongs
- Meat Thermometer
- Paper Towels
Ingredients
For the Steaks
- 2 beef tenderloin steaks 1 1/2-inch thick
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the Pan Sauce
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot minced
- dry red wine optional, to taste
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tsp fresh thyme chopped
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pat the steaks completely dry, season both sides with the salt and pepper, and let sit at room temperature about 30 minutes.
- Sear: Heat the vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add the steaks and cook without moving them for 3 minutes.
- Roast: Flip the steaks with tongs and immediately transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until about 130°F internally for medium-rare, about 8 to 9 minutes (they rise about 5 degrees as they rest).
- Rest: Transfer the steaks to a warm plate and tent with foil.
- Start the Sauce: Return the skillet to low heat. Melt the butter, add the shallot, and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the red wine, bring to a boil, and cook, scraping up the browned bits, until mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Build the Sauce: Stir in the Dijon and raise the heat to medium-high. Add the beef broth and Worcestershire, bring to a boil, and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
- Finish the Sauce: Lower the heat to medium and stir in the cream. Simmer until it coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley and thyme.
- Serve: Stir any juices from under the resting steaks into the sauce. Serve the steaks with the pan sauce spooned over.
Notes
Pat the steaks dry and bring them to room temperature for the best sear and even cooking. Use a hot cast-iron skillet and don't move the steaks while searing so a crust forms. Pull them at 130°F for medium-rare (they carry over about 5 degrees) and always rest before slicing. The red wine is optional; skip that step if omitting. Use any oven-safe heavy skillet if you don't have cast iron. Loosen the sauce with broth if it over-reduces. Store steak and sauce separately 3 to 4 days; reheat gently.