Description

This Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Mushroom Sauce recipe features a perfectly roasted centre cut beef tenderloin, seasoned and slathered with a garlic-thyme butter, then paired with a luxurious creamy mushroom sauce made with Marsala wine. Ideal for special occasions or a refined dinner, the beef is seared first for a savory crust, slow-roasted to tender perfection, and complemented by a rich, flavorful sauce.

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 very finely 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 3mm thick
1/2 tsp garlic, finely minced
1 thyme sprig
3/4 cup marsala, Italian fortified wine
1/2 cup chicken stock, low sodium
3/4 cup thickened cream (heavy cream)
1/4 tsp black pepper

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Instructions

Prep beef: Pat beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle salt and pepper all over. Place on a rack over a tray and refrigerate uncovered for 12 to 24 hours to dry brine. This step is recommended but can be skipped if short on time.
Make butter slather: In a bowl, mix the softened unsalted butter, finely grated garlic, chopped fresh thyme leaves, salt, and black pepper until combined.
De-chill beef: Remove the beef from the fridge 2 hours before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature for even cooking.
Sear beef: Heat vegetable oil in an ovenproof heavy-based pan over high heat until smoking. Aggressively and quickly brown the beef all over to develop a flavorful crust. Then place beef back on the rack and let it cool for 15 minutes so the butter slather won’t melt immediately.
Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 120°C/250°F (both fan and standard ovens are suitable).
Butter beef: Return beef to the cooled skillet and slather about 3/4 of the garlic-thyme butter onto the top and sides (not bottom) of the beef.
Roast beef: Roast the beef in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and slather the remaining butter on top and sides. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 53°C/127°F for medium rare.
Rest beef: Remove beef from skillet onto a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. The internal temperature will rise to 56-58°C / 133-136°F, reaching perfect medium rare. Slice thickly for serving.
Make mushroom sauce: Pour all roasting juices from the skillet into a bowl. Pour off 1/4 cup (60 ml) of fat back into the skillet and reserve the rest. Heat the skillet on high and add the reserved fat. Once hot, add sliced mushrooms to sweat. Then add thyme sprig and minced garlic, cooking for another 2 minutes until mushrooms soften.
Finish sauce: Add chicken stock and reduce by half. Add marsala wine, thickened cream, black pepper, and the reserved roasting juices. Simmer on medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and reduces by half. Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Serve sauce alongside sliced beef.

Notes

Centre cut beef tenderloin is ideal as it is thicker and has an even width for consistent cooking. Tying helps maintain shape but is optional.
Fresh thyme is preferred for both butter and sauce. If using dried thyme for butter, crush it finely. Skip thyme in sauce if using dried to avoid specks.
Marsala wine adds depth and sweetness; use dry marsala. Substitutes include port, sherry, madeira, or white wine. For non-alcoholic sauce, use low sodium chicken stock.
Overnight salting is recommended for better seasoning but can be skipped.
Use a meat thermometer for accuracy; medium rare is best recommended doneness.
Use a heavy ovenproof skillet like cast iron for best searing and roasting results.
Leftovers keep for up to 3 days refrigerated; freezing is not recommended.
Adjust cooking times for smaller or larger tenderloins by monitoring internal temperature.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 520 kcal
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 420 mg
Fat: 38 g
Saturated Fat: 20 g
Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 5 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 35 g
Cholesterol: 120 mg