Balsamic Beef Tenderloin

So many of my food influences come from my parents and their propensity to throw a party at a moment's notice.  Both my father and my mother are armed with a slew of easy to prepare dishes that always wow their guests and of course have them asking for the recipes.  The theme in most of the dishes that are prepared for mom and dad's get togethers was pre-party preparation or things that they could make ahead of time and then platter beautifully right before the guests arrive.

There always seemed to be one or two platters that many guests would swarm around and devour immediately.  This always included dad's beef tenderloin with balsamic sauce.  This is very easy to make can be prepared well before the guests arrive and also served at room temperature.  Here is what you will need:

For the Beef - 5-6 lb. beef tenderloin (filet) - 8 cloves of garlic - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - 1 handful of parsley - Zest of 1/2 lemon For the Sauce - 4 cloves of garlic, minced - 1 stick of butter - 1 can of beef consomme (if you cannot find consomme then use beef broth) - 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar Make some slits in the meat (spaced evenly throughout the entire filet) and press in whole garlic cloves. Salt and pepper the tenderloin liberally, preheat the oven to 425 and set the meat aside. In a medium sauce pan melt the butter and saute the garlic for about one minute over medium heat. Add the balsamic vinegar and let it cook down for about 2 minutes. Then add the consomme and let cook for another two minutes. Set aside. Chop the parsley and lemon zest together and set aside. Brown the filet on all sides with a little bit of olive oil. Use an oven safe saute pan or a metal roasting pan. Brown roast on all sides and then transfer the pan to the oven. Cook the filet at 425 for about 15 minutes. Check the temperature, and when the thermometer reads about 110-115 add the sauce cook for 5-10 more minutes or until the internal temperature is about 5 degrees under 120-125 for rare or 130-135 for medium rare. Remove pan from the oven, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. While the meat rests it will continue to cook to the desired doneness. Remove the roast to a cutting board, slice the beef, arrange it beautifully on a platter, pour the sauce over and sprinkle with the parsley and lemon zest to garnish.

Comments

[amy]

nice pic. who's the photographer?