Beef Tenderloin with Caramelized Onions & Red Wine Sauce

If you really want to impress your dinner guests for the holidays or any special occasion, I highly recommend this beef tenderloin recipe.  It is a restaurant-quality dish that I would pay a pretty penny for.  The meat is extremely tender and flavorful and the sauce is out of this world.  My husband enjoyed it so much that he said it is in his top 10 favorites of all time, which is quite the honor.  When making this, please note that it is very important to allow the meat to come to room temperature before cooking.  It is also important that you allow it to rest for 15 minutes after it has cooked.  This allows the juices to redistribute throughout.  I served this over a shaved salad with prosciutto and a balsamic-Dijon vinaigrette (recipe to come) along with a side of mashed potatoes.



Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 lb beef tenderloin, room temperature 
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 tsp garlic powder 
• Kosher salt
• Pepper

Red wine sauce

• 1/4 c butter 
• 1 c onion, julienne cut 
• 1/2 tsp sugar 
• 1 c red wine
• 1 c beef broth 
• 1 tsp dried rosemary 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Brush the beef with olive oil.  Season with garlic powder and generously sprinkle salt and pepper over all.  Set the beef on a rack placed on top of a foil-lined baking sheet.  Roast the beef until a thermometer reads 120 degrees for rare, about 25 minutes; 130 degrees for medium-rare, about 30 minutes; 140 degrees for medium, about 40 minutes.  Wrap the beef in the foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes (the temperature will rise 5 degrees as the beef rests).  

Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Melt 2 tbsp of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and sugar.  Cook and stir occasionally until brown, at least 10 minutes (I caramelized mine for 40 minutes).  Add the wine and broth to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Boil until the liquid is reduced to 1 c, about 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the rosemary.  Stir in the remaining 2 tbsp butter.  

Unwrap the tenderloin and set it on a carving board.  Pour all of the accumulated juices into the sauce.  Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.  

Slice the meat and serve it with the sauce.  

Enjoy!