Date: 08-29-2009
Simple Roast Beef Tenderloin
Serves 12 to 16
To age the tenderloin, set it on a rack over a roasting pan and refrigerate it 3 to 4 days.
If you do age the meat, you can reduce the post-roasting resting time to 15 - 20 minutes.
To give the tenderloin a more pronounced pepper crest, increase the amount of pepper to 6 T
and use a mixture of strong black and white and mild pink and green peppercorns. Be sure
to crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or with a heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet.
Do not use a coffee or spice grinder, which will grind the softer green and pink peppercorns to
a powder before the harder black and white peppercorns begin to break up.
1 whole beef tenderloin peeled, (5-6 lbs), thoroughly patted dry
2 T olive oil
1 T kosher salt
2 T coarse-ground black pepper
Remove tenderloin from refrigerator 2 to 3 hours before roasting.
Using a sharp knife to carefully cut the silver skin on the side opposite the tail with shallow
slashes at 1 ½" intervals. Tuck tail end under and tie roast crosswise, knotting at 1 ½" intervals.
Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat oven to 425 . Set meat on a sheet of
plastic wrap and rub all over with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; then, lift plastic
wrap up and around meat to press on excess.
Transfer prepared tenderloin from wrap to wire rack set on shallow roasting pan.
Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast
registers about 125 (meat will range from medium-rare to medium in different
areas of the roast), about 45 minutes. Let stand for about 30 minutes before carving.