Description
Succulent beef tenderloin roasted to medium rare perfection and served with a rich, creamy mushroom sauce infused with Marsala wine and fresh thyme. This elegant main course features a garlic-thyme butter slather and a savory mushroom sauce made from the roasting juices, perfect for a special dinner or festive occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef
- 1.25 kg centre cut beef tenderloin (eye fillet), tied
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Garlic-Thyme-Butter Slather
- 75 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp garlic, finely grated or minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- 150 g white mushrooms, sliced 3mm thick
- 1/2 tsp garlic, finely minced
- 1 thyme sprig
- 3/4 cup Marsala wine
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
- 3/4 cup thickened cream (heavy cream)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Prep beef: Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper. Place the beef on a rack on a tray and refrigerate uncovered for 12 to 24 hours to dry and season the meat thoroughly. You can skip this overnight step if short on time.
- Make Butter Slather: In a bowl, mix together the softened butter, grated garlic, chopped fresh thyme leaves, salt, and pepper until well combined. This mixture will be used to slather the beef before roasting.
- De-chill beef: Remove the beef from the fridge 2 hours before cooking to let it come to room temperature, which helps ensure even cooking.
- Sear the beef: Heat vegetable oil in a heavy-based ovenproof pan over high heat until smoking hot. Sear the beef quickly and aggressively on all sides until well browned. Place the beef back on the rack and let it cool for 15 minutes to prevent the butter from melting immediately.
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 120°C (250°F) using either fan or standard settings.
- Butter slather: Place the beef back in the cooled skillet and slather three-quarters of the garlic-thyme butter over the top and sides of the beef (not the underside).
- Roast the beef: Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove, then apply the remaining butter on top and sides. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 53°C (127°F) for medium rare.
- Rest & slice: Transfer the beef to a cutting board and rest for 10 minutes; the temperature will rise to 56-58°C (133-136°F). Slice thickly for serving.
- Make creamy mushroom sauce: Pour all roasting juices from the skillet into a bowl, allowing the fat to rise to the surface. Return 1/4 cup of the fat to the skillet and discard the rest or save for another use. Heat the fat on high heat, add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they begin to sweat. Add thyme sprig and minced garlic and cook for 2 more minutes until mushrooms soften.
- Prepare sauce: Add chicken stock to the skillet and reduce it by half over medium-high heat. Add Marsala wine, thickened cream, black pepper, and the reserved roasting juices. Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and reduces by half. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Serve: Serve the sliced beef tenderloin with generous spoonfuls of creamy mushroom sauce.
Notes
- Choose centre cut beef tenderloin for even thickness and consistent cooking. It’s best if tied to hold its shape.
- Fresh thyme is preferred for both butter and sauce, but dried thyme (½ tsp crushed for butter only) can substitute if needed; skip thyme in sauce if using dried.
- Use dry Marsala wine for best flavor; substitutes include port, sherry, Madeira, or dry white wine. For a non-alcoholic option, substitute Marsala with additional low sodium chicken stock.
- Overnight salting is recommended for best flavor and seasoning, but you can skip it if short on time.
- Use a heavy-based, ovenproof skillet such as a 26 cm cast iron skillet for searing and roasting.
- Internal temperature targets: medium rare is ideal at 53°C pull temp and 56-58°C after resting. Adjust roast time for different doneness levels as needed.
- Leftover cooked beef will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. Freezing cooked tenderloin is not recommended as it may affect texture.
- A meat thermometer is essential for accurate doneness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 620 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 48 g
- Saturated Fat: 24 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 42 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
