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Sear-Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Cream Sauce

Source of Recipe

From "Once Upon A Chef: Weeknight/Weekend" by Jennifer Segal


Recipe Introduction

"When I was working at Sam & Harry's, a fine-dining steakhouse in Washington, D.C., which was an 'it' spot for D.C.'s movers and shakers in the 1990s, we served sliced beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce for almost all our private cocktail parties. It's just as good at room temperature as it is hot, so it's ideal for a buffet—and if you're serving finger food, you can offer brioche slider buns so your guests can make mini steak sandwiches. Who wouldn't love that?"

List of Ingredients

For the roast:
â—¦ 1 (2- to 4-pound) center-cut beef tenderloin roast
â—¦ Kosher salt (½ teaspoon per pound of beef)
â—¦ Freshly ground black pepper (¼ teaspoon per pound of beef)
â—¦ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the horseradish sauce:
â—¦ ¾ cup sour cream
â—¦ ¾ cup best-quality mayonnaise, such as Hellmann's or Duke's
â—¦ 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
â—¦ 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
â—¦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives


Recipe

Make the roast:
Let the beef stand at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 400° F and set an oven rack in the middle position.

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Sear the beef, turning it with tongs, until well browned on all but one side (leave one of the wider sides unseared), 8 to 10 minutes total. Turn the tenderloin unseared side down and transfer the skillet to the oven. (If your skillet isn't ovenproof, transfer the beef to a lightly oiled roasting pan.)

Roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the tenderloin registers about 125° F for medium-rare, 15 to 25 minutes, or until done to your liking (120° F for rare, 130° F for medium). Keep in mind that the roast's internal temperature will continue to rise several degrees as it rests. When you take the roast out of the oven, place a dish towel or oven mitt over the skillet handle to remind yourself that it's hot (trust me, it's easy to forget and burn yourself!). Transfer the roast to a carving board (preferably with a well for collecting juices) and let it rest, covered loosely with aluminum foil, for 10 to 15 minutes (or up to one hour if serving at room temperature).

Make the horseradish sauce:
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, horseradish, mustard, salt, pepper, and chives until combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Carve the tenderloin into ½-inch-thick slices. Serve the beef warm or at room temperature, with the horseradish sauce on the side.

Serves 4 to 8