Beef Tenderloin Roast with Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Ingredients

• Beef Tenderloin – One whole beef tenderloin roast will feed a crowd easily. You can buy them already trimmed of excess fat but they don’t take much effort to trim yourself. It’s an expensive cut of meat so trimming yourself is a good way to save some money.
• Olive Oil – A thin coating of olive oil keeps the meat tender while providing enough fat to create a good sear when cooking. You can use melted butter as a substitute.
• Seasoning – I keep it simple with a coating of kosher salt and black pepper.

For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.

How To Trim Beef Tenderloin Roast

An untrimmed beef tenderloin will have a shiny “Silver Skin” that will need to be trimmed off with a sharp knife. It’s really easy to do and if you skip this step, beef tenderloin will not allow the flavoring to penetrate the meat.

• First, slide the tip of your knife right under the connective tissue at the very end of the roast.
• Keep the blade of the knife close to the top of the roast to ensure you don’t cut off too much of the meat.
• Using your opposite hand, hold the edge of the silver skin up and pull as you cut it away with the knife.
• Continue cutting away the silver skin (trying to keep it in one piece) until you reach the opposite end of the roast.
• Cut away any fat and discard. (Beef Tenderloin is notoriously lean so there will not be much fat to trim.

You can trim beef tenderloin roast a few days in advance and store in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to roast. Be sure to allow your roast to come to room temperature before you begin cooking it.

How To Cook Beef Tenderloin

Cooking Beef Tenderloin is one of the easiest, yet impressive, dinners you can make. I love that Beef Tenderloin Roast is rather forgiving in the way a single steak may not be. If you overcook it just a bit, it’s still going to be perfect, tender and juicy.

The most importing thing is to bring the beef tenderloin to room temperature before you begin the cooking process.

1. Preheat the oven to a searing 500˚ F oven. (The high temperature creates a crust which seals in the juices.)
2. Pat the beef tenderloin roast dry with paper towels and place on a baking sheet.
3. Coat the roast liberally with olive oil. Season with more salt and pepper than you ever think you would need.
4. Heat a roasting pan over medium-high heat and place the beef tenderloin in the roasting pan.
5. Sear the beef on all sides until a golden crust has formed. I do this in stages, so allow the beef to cook on one side for about 4-5 minutes before flipping to the other side. Repeat until the whole tenderloin roast is golden and crusty.
6. Transfer the roast to the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the roast reached 130-135˚F for medium rare when a meat thermometer or instant read thermometer is inserted into the center of the roast.
7. Remove from the oven and tent with aluminum foil. Allow the tenderloin to rest for 15 minutes to give the juices a chance to redistribute through the meat.
8. Slice and serve!

Because Beef Tenderloin roasts one of the most expensive cuts of beef, I, most often, purchase a Costco Beef Tenderloin and trim the roast myself. It takes a bit of time but is definitely worth it to do it yourself when you want to keep the costs down on entertaining.

How To Fast Sear & Roast (quickest)

1. Prep the roast: Tie the tenderloin every about 1 inch (fold the tail under so the thickness is even). Pat very dry with paper towels. Season all over with kosher salt (use the per-pound guide) and black pepper. Let stand at room temperature 45 to 60 minutes.
2. Heat and sear: Preheat the oven to 425–500°F. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add a thin film of oil and sear the beef on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until nicely browned.
3. Roast to temp: Transfer the beef to a rack set over a sheet pan (or keep it in the oven-safe skillet). Insert a thermometer into the center from the side. Roast until the internal temperature is 5 to 10°F below your target doneness (see chart). For medium-rare, pull at 120–125°F. Optional: during the last few minutes, add butter, garlic, and herbs and baste.
4. Rest and slice: Rest 10 to 15 minutes so the temp can rise and the juices settle. Slice ½- to ¾-inch thick across the grain. Serve with creamy horseradish sauce.

How To Slow Roast & Sear (most even cooking)

1. Season ahead: Tie the roast, pat dry with paper towels, and season with kosher salt (see per-pound guide) and pepper. For the best flavor, dry brine uncovered in the refrigerator 8 to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature 45 to 60 minutes before cooking.
2. Low temperature roast: Preheat the oven to 250–275°F. Place the beef on a rack over a sheet pan. Insert a probe thermometer into the very center from the side. Roast until the internal temperature is 5 to 10°F below your target (for medium-rare, pull at 120–125°F). Typical timing is about 35 to 55 minutes for a 3–4 lb roast, but always go by temperature.
3. Quick sear: Rest the roast 5 to 10 minutes while you heat a cast-iron skillet over high (or increase the oven to 475–500°F). Add a little oil and sear the roast, turning, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until a deep brown crust forms (or return to the hot oven 5 to 8 minutes).
4. Rest and slice: Rest another 10 minutes. Slice ½- to ¾-inch thick across the grain. Serve with creamy horseradish sauce.