Chateaubriand with Red Wine Jus

Chateaubriand is traditionally a thick cut of tenderloin served with béarnaise sauce and a bouquet of elaborate cut vegetables. The Red Wine Jus with a hint of tarragon is a nice alterative. Serve with seasonal vegetables.

Yield: 6 servings.

Ingredients

  • Beef Tenderloin
    • 2 beef tenderloins (end cut), trimmed and portioned (total weight needed about 2 ¼ pounds)
    • Sea salt, to taste
    • Freshly ground mix of peppercorns, to taste
    • Clarified butter
    • 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • Red Wine Jus
    • 1 tbsp. butter
    • 1 shallot, peeled and sliced
    • 1 clove garlic, chopped
    • ½ cup red wine
    • 2 tbsp. brandy
    • 1 cup good quality beef stock
    • ¼ cup demi-glace
    • 1 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
    • Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
    • Fresh tarragon sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Method

  1. Beef Tenderloin
    1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
    2. Season tenderloins with salt and freshly cracked mix of peppercorns.
    3. Heat a large skillet on medium high and add 2 tbsp. clarified butter. When pan is hot add the tenderloin and sear on all sides until well browned throughout, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Rub evenly with Dijon mustard and transfer to roasting pan. Reserve skillet for making the sauce. Make sauce when tenderloin in roasting in oven.
    4. Roast tenderloin in oven at 425 degrees F. for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 to 400 degrees F. and roast until tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. for medium rare, about 10 to 15 minutes. Note: cooking time will depend on thickness of meat. Alternatively, cook tenderloin to your liking – rare is 130 degrees F., medium is 145 degrees F., and well done is 155 degrees F.
    5. Transfer roast to serving platter and tent with foil. Keep warm. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
  2. Red Wine Jus
    1. While tenderloin is roasting, make sauce in reserved skillet. Over medium high heat, add butter, shallots and garlic to skillet. Let shallots cook until soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add brandy and wine to deglaze the pan. Let cook until reduced by half. Add beef stock and demi-glace. Let cook and reduce until slightly syrupy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add tarragon to sauce.
    2. Slice tenderloin and plate with sauce.