Cooking Beef Tenderloin with Fresh Herbs
Cooking Beef Tenderloin with fresh herbs is a very easy dish to serve to summer guests with a fresh yummy Chimichurri Sauce!
Last weekend we hosted friends for dinner, and I served Beef Tenderloin with a delicious, fresh Chimichurri Sauce. Dinner was so simple, one of my favorite summertime meals, and everyone seemed pretty happy. That always makes me smile, when I know our guests are happy. :)
Electric knife.
My husband is really helpful when it comes to dinner parties. He helps in the kitchen, getting the music ready, does outside chores, and he’s always game to use the electric knife in the kitchen. :) It’s funny, the reaction from guests when he uses an electric knife. Some feel this tool is from the dark ages, some embrace the “ease” and talk about how much they love their tool. I grew up with an electric knife, so for me it was a “must have” in our kitchen, and works great on bread, too.
I was actually proud of myself. We were outside having so much fun with appetizers, drinks, walking through the garden, getting some “girlfriend pics,” (our friend Judy just turned 50!), I forgot about the meat in the oven. At first my heart sank. Argh – overdone meat. But it was all good. When I realized what happened, I ran inside, pulled the meat from the oven, and quickly grabbed Paul to start the slicing process.
No apologizing.
I mumbled to the couple of ladies helping me in the kitchen about the “overcooked meat,” but then I remembered my own advice.
Do not apologize.
Don’t make a big deal of it.
Go with the flow.
No one will even know.
We sliced the meat, which was almost perfect, garnished the platter with fresh lemon thyme, and called the guests together to “dish up!”
I love serving food buffet style. Everyone gets to plate their own dish with the exact portion they are comfortable with. Obviously some people like more meat than others, so this works really well.
The scoop on tenderloin.
Tenderloin can be a little spendy, but it’s really easy, and most guests love it. I think it tastes better when sliced really thin, and of course, served with a delicious homemade sauce.
Prepping the tenderloin.
After cutting off the fat, you tuck the ends in and tie the loin with natural cooking twine. You do this so the tenderloin is all one size and cooks evenly. If you prepare ahead of time, prep and tie the meat together and place on a baking sheet. Season right before it goes into the oven. Simple olive oil, salt, white pepper, and fresh herbs–that’s all you need to get it ready for cooking.
Roasting the tenderloin.
The purpose of a low temperature is to cook the meat slow and low. It cooks evenly and comes out perfect!
Slicing and serving.
Again, an electric knife makes slicing so easy. Plate and garnish with fresh herbs and several dipping sauces, like Chimichurri or even a steak sauce. We also served roasted root veggies–beets, potatoes, carrots—with asparagus and zucchini. And 2 side salads, Green Salad with Strawberries, Watermelon, and Cashews, and a delicious pasta salad.
Be on the lookout for the chimichurri recipe later this week, basically a brightly colored sauce with herbs, garlic, and tangy vinegar, and a few other “secret” ingredients.
Get the party started.
I love to put everything on the table, dishes stacked off to the side, and let the guests dig in. While it’s nice and hot!
It’s fun to dish up, chat and mingle at the same time, and then gather round the table to get the party started.
Do you have an electric knife in your kitchen? Does it get used much?
Get the Recipe:
Cooking Beef Tenderloin with Fresh Herbs
Ingredients
- 5 pound Beef Tenderloin
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- White pepper
- Fresh herbs, such as oregano, lemon thyme, or rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
- Trim (cut) the fat from the beef, tuck the ends in and tie the loin together with natural cooking twine.
- Drizzle with olive oil, then generously coat with salt and white pepper. Stuff fresh herbs between the meat and the twine. Place on a baking sheet.
- Place in the oven and roast for about 70-80 minutes, or until the inside of the beef reaches 130-135 degrees. Remove immediately from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut off the twine pieces and thinly slice. Garnish with more fresh herbs.
- TIP: Take a quick taste and make sure the meat is salted enough. You can always do a light sprinkle on the meat before serving.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
The tenderloin looks delishious. The BEST meal I ever had was beef tenderloin at a friends house. He had prepared it on the grill.
Looks great! Can’t wait for the chimichurri sauce recipe. I’ve decided this is on the menu Saturday night :) This is the first weekend we’ve been home for awhile, so if I can find a whole loin or another larger roast in the freezer (we buy beef by the side) we’ll make it a dinner party!
This looks amazing!