Ease of Preparation: Easy
Time of Preparation: 1 hour
Yield: 4 servings
What’s better than a beefy tenderloin roast? How about one that’s smothered in sweet, sherry-braised shallots! This is an easy-peasy roast that will impress your guests at your next dinner party, just make sure they bring lots of red wine!
Ingredients:
Shallots:
- 8 small shallots
- 1 cup (240 ml) sherry vinegar
- 1 cup (240 ml) red wine vinegar
- 1 cup (240 ml) dry sherry
- ¼ cup (60 ml) sugar
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup (60 ml) butter, cold and cubed
Tenderloin Roast:
- 1 ¼ pound (567 g) tenderloin roast, center-cut, trimmed
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) butter
- 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 sprigs thyme
Garnish:
- Thyme leaves
- Flakey sea salt
Method:
For the Shallots:
Peel shallots. Cut off the very tip and base, leave whole.
In a small saucepan, combine the shallots, sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar, sherry, sugar, salt, and pepper, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
Continue simmering for 60-75 minutes, until shallots are soft, and vinegar has reduced to a syrup.
Before serving, remove from heat and swirl in butter a few bits at a time to make a glaze.
For the Tenderloin Roast:
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
Allow roast to come to room temperature. Season well with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Sear the roast evenly, 1-2 minutes per side, until well browned.
Reduce heat to medium low and drain oil out of pan.
Add the butter, garlic, and thyme to the pan and start basting on one side for 3 minutes, then flip, and baste for 3 minutes more, until cooked through but still quite rare.
Remove from pan, transfer to oven and roast for 10 minutes to an internal temperature of 135 F (60 C).
Remove from oven, tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
To Serve:
Slice the roast into 4 portions, present with the shallots.
Add a bit of the sherry reduction and the basting butter to the plate.
Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and flakey sea salt.
