May 26, 2012

Roast Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Ragout




This Food Network inspired recipe was just about the most delicious steak I've ever made. Ragout is a derivative of the French verb "ragouter," meaning "to stimulate the appetite," and is typically a thick, rich, well-seasoned stew of meat, poultry or fish and sometimes vegetables. In this case, it was done with mushrooms and was amazing. Of the major cuts of beef, the short loin is the most tender. "Tenderloin" comes from the short loin and can be sold as tenderloin roasts or cut into filet mignon steaks. The recipe below yields about 8 servings. Enjoy!

HELPS
1. You can find high quality beef tenderloin at the more specialty grocery stores. It's a little on the expensive side but much less than you'd pay for filet mignon at a nice restaurant.
2. Be careful not to leave the ragout on the heat too long or it will become too thick.
3. Though the recipe calls for a variety of mushrooms, if those are too difficult to find or are too pricey, you can just go with the white button mushrooms and the taste is still excellent.

INGREDIENTS
Beef Tenderloin
2 ½ pounds center-cut beef tenderloin roast, cut into 8 pieces
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 Tbs butter

Mushroom Ragout
1 lb mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, or white button
2-3 Tbs unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped
1/2 cup Marsala
1/3 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
Beef Tenderloin
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Season the beef all over with salt and a generous amount of pepper.
















4. Add the oil to the skillet and heat until shimmering. Add the butter and swirl to melt.
















5. Add the beef and sear until mahogany brown on all sides, about 8 minutes total.































6. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 125 degrees F. for medium-rare, about 25 minutes.
7. Transfer the roast to a cutting board, tent it very loosely with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Serve with the mushroom ragout.

Mushroom Ragout
1. Clean and quarter all the mushrooms and put in a bowl.
2. Heat 2 Tbs of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the mushrooms and spread them out evenly in the pan.
















3. increase the heat to high. Let the mushrooms cook undisturbed until they brown, then shake the pan to turn them over.
4. Add the additional butter along the sides of the pan as the mushrooms cook if the pan seems very dry.
5. Continue to cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
















7. Season the mushrooms with the salt and pepper and add the thyme.
8. Pull the pan off the heat and add the Marsala.
















9. Return pan to the heat and scrape up any of the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
10. Add the heavy cream and bring to a boil.

















11. Remove from the heat and serve.






















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