Katheryn's Kitchen – Spice Rubbed Roast Beef Tenderloin

Spice Rubber Roast Beef Tenderloin

This roast beef tenderloin looks glamorous and tastes amazing, yet it’s practically foolproof, it’s a great meal for a dinner party in the upcoming holiday season or anytime. The meat gets its deeply browned exterior in the oven at a single temperature; no pre-searing or fussing with different temperatures necessary. Cut the recipe in half to serve 4-5 people. I served this with a Red Wine Sauce , Mashed Potato and Turnip Gratin and Oven Roasted Asparagus. The Red Wine Sauce and the Mashed Potato and Turnip Gratin and be made a day ahead of time.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 40-50 minutes

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbs. ground fennel seed
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds, coarsely ground
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 2-1/2-lb. beef butt tenderloins, trimmed

Tip: For a crowd serve two partial tenderloins—request butt tenderloins at the meat counter—instead of one whole one. This way, there are no thinner tail ends, and the roasts cook evenly.

Caraway Seeds

Fennel Seeds

1. Season the beef: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, thyme, fennel, caraway, 1 Tbs. salt, and 1-1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper. I have a coffee grinder I use only for grinding spices, that’s what I used for grinding the fennel and caraway seeds. Pat the tenderloins dry with paper towels and coat them with the spice mixture, using your hands to spread it evenly; it will sparsely cover the meat. I like to tie the roasts with string so that they stay uniform in size and cook more evenly. Cut off the strings before carving to serve.

Olive Oil Added to the Spices

2. Roast the beef:

Remove the beef from the refrigerator and let sit at

room temperature for about an hour before roasting. Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.

Spice Rubber Roast Beef Tenderloin

3. Arrange the roasts on a flat rack on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 120°F-130°F for rare , 130°F to 135°F for medium rare, or 140°F-150°F for medium, 40 to 50 minutes. When cooked to your doneness, remove from the oven, cover the beef loosely with tin foil and let the beef rest for 15 minutes, before carving crosswise into thick slices. Slice only as much as you plan to serve right away (leftovers keep better unsliced).

make ahead tips:

The beef may be seasoned up to 36 hours ahead of roasting. Just keep chilled in refrigerator.

Leftovers:

Leftover tenderloin makes delicious roast beef sandwiches; slice it thin and serve it on soft rolls with horseradish flavored mayonnaise and a few sprigs of watercress.