Marinated Beef Tenderloin with Merlot Sauce

A 5-star meal!

When we moved south, away from all the family, we went from cooking for 20 people for Sunday dinners and holidays, to cooking for two.   Then, my daughter and her husband came to visit and decided that North Carolina was the place for them too. 

Our first Christmas with just the four of us felt like it might be a little lonely (ya think?), so I decided to cook something really special that Christmas Eve, something I knew I couldn't afford to make for a crowd, unless we owned a cattle farm, that is!

That was when I found this  incredible roast tenderloin recipe on the Betty Crocker website!   The cost of the meat is a bit expensive, but for a special occasion, it is so worth the extra splurge!  Mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetable go great with this.  It's the meat that's the star of this special meal.  This recipe serves 4, but it would make a wonderful anniversary or Valentine dinner for two...don't you think?



Ingredients:

Marinated Beef:

1 beef tenderloin roast (3lbs.)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil OR 2 tsp. dried basil
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano OR 2 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley OR 2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

In re-sealable food-storage plastic bag or large glass or plastic dish, place beef.  In small bowl, mix remaining beef ingredients; pour over beef.  Seal bag or cover dish; refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours, turning beef several times to coat with marinade.

Heat oven to 425ºF.  Remove beef from marinade; discard marinade. Place beef on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer so tip is in center of thickest part of beef.

 Roast uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until thermometer reads 140ºF (medium-rare doneness). Cover beef loosely with tent of foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes or until thermometer reads 145ºF. (Temperature will continue to rise about 5ºF and beef will be easier to carve as juices set up.)        

Merlot Sauce:

1 cup currant jelly
1 cup Merlot, Zinfandel or nonalcoholic red wine
1/2 cup beef broth
2 Tbsp. butter

In 1-quart saucepan, heat all sauce ingredients to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low.  Simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly reduced and syrupy. Cut beef across grain at slanted angle into thin slices.  Serve with sauce.

 

Tip: Get a jump on preparing this tasty dish by marinating the beef the evening before. Make the sauce up to 3 days ahead and store, covered, in the refrigerator; reheat on low for 5 to 10 minutes before serving with the beef.


"Let not your hearts be troubled.  Believe in God, believe also in me."  John 14:1