Description
This Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Mushroom Sauce recipe features a perfectly roasted centre-cut beef tenderloin slathered in a garlic-thyme butter, paired with a rich and silky marsala mushroom sauce. The beef is seasoned and optionally overnight salted for deep flavor, seared in a hot skillet, then slow-roasted at low temperature to medium rare perfection. The luxurious mushroom sauce is made from the roasting juices, white mushrooms, garlic, thyme, marsala wine, chicken stock, and cream for a wonderfully indulgent main course ideal for special occasions or elegant dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef
- 1.25 kg centre cut beef tenderloin (eye fillet), tied
- 1 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Garlic-Thyme-Butter Slather
- 75 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp garlic, finely grated or minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- 150 g white mushrooms, sliced 3 mm thick
- 1/2 tsp garlic, finely minced
- 1 thyme sprig
- 3/4 cup marsala (Italian fortified wine)
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
- 3/4 cup thickened cream (heavy cream)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Prep beef: Pat the beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle salt and black pepper evenly all over. Place the beef on a rack set inside a tray and refrigerate uncovered for 12 to 24 hours to dry-age and season deeply. This step is optional but recommended for best results.
- Prepare Butter Slather: In a bowl, combine softened butter, finely grated garlic, fresh chopped thyme, salt, and black pepper. Mix well until fully incorporated.
- De-chill beef: Remove the beef from the fridge 2 hours before cooking to allow it to reach room temperature for even cooking.
- Sear the beef: Heat vegetable oil in an ovenproof heavy skillet over high heat until it starts smoking. Quickly and aggressively brown the beef on all sides to develop a deep crust. Then place beef back on the rack and let rest for 15 minutes so the butter does not instantly melt when applied.
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 120°C/250°F using either fan or standard settings.
- Butter beef: Place the beef back into the cooled skillet. Using 3/4 of the prepared butter slather, coat the top and sides of the beef thoroughly (avoid the underside).
- Roast beef: Roast the beef in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove and apply the remaining butter slather on top and sides. Return to oven and roast for an additional 35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 53°C/127°F for medium rare.
- Rest and serve: Transfer the beef to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. The internal temperature will rise to around 56-58°C/133-136°F, ideal for medium rare. Slice thickly and serve with the creamy mushroom sauce.
- Creamy mushroom sauce - Collect roasting juices: Pour all juices from the skillet into a bowl or jug. The fat will separate and rise to the surface. Return 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the fat to the skillet and reserve the rest for later.
- Cook mushrooms: Heat the fat in the skillet on high until hot. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until they start to release moisture and sweat. Then add the thyme sprig and minced garlic, cooking for an additional 2 minutes until mushrooms soften.
- Make sauce: Pour in the low sodium chicken stock and reduce by half over medium-high heat. Add marsala wine, thickened cream, black pepper, and the remaining reserved roasting juices. Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce reduces by half and thickens. Taste and adjust salt if needed; the sauce should have a slight saltiness that complements the beef perfectly. Serve warm alongside sliced beef.
Notes
- Using the centre-cut beef tenderloin is preferred for even cooking due to its uniform thickness; tying is recommended to maintain shape but not mandatory.
- Fresh thyme is best in this recipe; if using dried thyme for the butter, use 1/2 tsp crushed. Skip thyme in the sauce if using dried to avoid specks.
- Use dry marsala wine for depth and sweetness; substitute with port, sherry, madeira, or white wine if unavailable. For a non-alcoholic version, substitute with low sodium chicken stock.
- Overnight salting enhances seasoning deeply but can be skipped if short on time.
- Use a heavy ovenproof skillet like cast iron (around 26 cm/10.5 inches) for searing and roasting.
- Internal temperature guidelines: Pull beef at 53°C/127°F for medium rare; final rested temperature will be 56-58°C/133-136°F.
- Leftover cooked beef can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days but freezing is not recommended.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 tenderloin with sauce
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
