Equipment
Ingredients
The Beef
- 1200 g beef tenderloin fillet, center cut, trimmed of silverskin
- 30 ml olive oil
- 10 g fresh thyme sprigs
- 3 garlic, lightly crushed
- 15 g sea salt
- 5 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Dried Cherry Sauce
- 30 g unsalted butter, divided into a 10g portion and a cold 20g portion
- 50 g shallots, finely diced
- 150 ml port wine
- 250 ml gluten-free beef stock, low sodium preferred
- 100 g dried cherries
- 2 g fresh thyme leaves
Horseradish Cream Sauce
- 150 g creme fraiche
- 40 g prepared horseradish
- 10 g dijon mustard
- 10 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g fresh chives, finely chopped
- 2 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 532 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbohydrates
- 22 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 15 g
- Sodium
- 1405 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 146 mg
- Potassium
- 793 mg
- Calcium
- 89 mg
- Iron
- 6.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 43 mg
- Phosphorus
- 475 mg
- Zinc
- 6.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 221 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 11 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 6.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.13 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.70 mg
- Niacin
- 9.5 mg
- Folate
- 17 mcg
- Water
- 240 g
- Alcohol
- 4 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Remove the beef tenderloin from the refrigerator one hour before cooking to allow it to temper and cook evenly. Pat the meat thoroughly dry with paper towels, then rub evenly with half of the olive oil. Season generously on all sides with the sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).
Place a heavy skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke slightly. Add the remaining olive oil and sear the seasoned beef tenderloin on all sides until a deeply browned crust forms, taking about 2 minutes per side.
Transfer the seared beef to a roasting pan. Scatter the fresh thyme sprigs and crushed garlic cloves around and under the meat. Roast in the preheated oven until a digital meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 52°C (125°F) for medium-rare, which will take approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove the beef from the oven and carefully transfer it to a carving board. Tent it loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest undisturbed for 20 minutes. This allows the muscle fibers to relax and redistribute the savory juices throughout the cut.
While the beef rests, begin the dried cherry sauce. In a small saucepan, melt 10g of butter over medium heat. Add the finely diced shallots and gently cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes.
Pour the port wine into the saucepan with the shallots to deglaze, scraping up any fond. Add the beef stock, dried cherries, and fresh thyme leaves. Simmer vigorously until the liquid reduces by half and achieves a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 20g of cold butter to mount the sauce and create a glossy finish.
To create the horseradish cream sauce, combine the creme fraiche, prepared horseradish, dijon mustard, lemon juice, chopped chives, and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk until perfectly smooth and fully incorporated. Taste and fold in more horseradish if a sharper flavor is desired.
Once fully rested, carve the beef tenderloin into thick slices using a sharp carving knife. Serve immediately on warmed plates, passing the warm dried cherry reduction and the cool horseradish cream alongside.
Chef's Notes
- Tempering the beef by leaving it at room temperature for an hour is crucial. A cold center will drastically increase cooking time and lead to overcooked outer bands.
- Do not skip resting the meat. Slicing immediately out of the oven will cause the juices to flood your carving board rather than staying inside the steak.
- Mounting the pan sauce with cold butter at the very end is a classic French technique called 'monter au beurre'. It softens the sharp notes of the wine and thickens the sauce without flour.
- Always practice proper food safety when handling raw poultry or meat. Ensure your carving board is thoroughly washed and sanitized before using it for the rested, cooked beef.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store the roasted beef and the two sauces in separate airtight containers.
Reheating: Reheat beef gently in a warm oven or serve cold. Warm the cherry sauce gently over low heat. Do not heat the horseradish cream.
Troubleshooting
Beef is overcooked and dry
Cause: Relying purely on the clock rather than internal temperature, or skipping the resting phase.
Fix: Slice the beef thinner than usual and generously coat with the rich cherry sauce to reintroduce moisture.
Prevention: Always use a digital probe thermometer, pulling the meat from the oven 3 to 5 degrees Celsius before your target final temperature to account for carryover cooking.
Dried cherry sauce is too thin and watery
Cause: Insufficient reduction time or failure to mount the final sauce with cold butter.
Fix: Return to high heat and boil vigorously for 3 to 5 minutes, or whisk in a teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in a splash of cold water and boil for one minute.
Prevention: Allow the sauce adequate time to simmer and evaporate its water content before finishing.
Horseradish sauce is overwhelmingly pungent
Cause: Using a particularly strong batch of freshly prepared horseradish all at once.
Fix: Stir in an additional dollop of plain creme fraiche or sour cream to mellow the bite.
Prevention: Add the horseradish to the creme fraiche base incrementally, tasting as you go.
Cultural Context
The tradition of serving a majestic cut of roasted beef traces back centuries as a cornerstone of the British Sunday roast. Pairing savory beef with potent, clearing condiments like horseradish is a classic English hallmark, cutting through the richness of the meat. The addition of the dried cherry reduction introduces a modern, festive complexity that elevates the dish for special occasions.
