Week 30: Horseradish-Crusted Beef Tenderloin

I won't lie. I love steak. I'm sort of a snob about it, though. I really only like beef tenderloin. It is actually one of the few things that I would rather eat at home than at a restaurant, and it is something I crave.

Generally, I'd season it up and send Brad out to grill it. But, I live in WI. It's winter - not exactly ideal grilling weather.

Enter a recipe for horseradish-crusted beef tenderloin - made in the oven.

It's a great Sunday recipe.

Horseradish-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
Taken from:
Cook's Illustrated, November 2009

1 beef tenderloin (about 2 pounds) trimmed of fat and silver skin
Kosher salt
3 Tbsp Panko bread crumbs
1 C plus 2 tsp vegetable oil
1 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 small shallot, minced (about 1 1/2 Tbsp)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed (about 2 tsp)
1/4 C well-drained prepared horseradish
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
1 small russet potato (about 6 oz) peeled and grated on large holes of box grater
1 1/2 tsp mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp powdered gelatin



Sprinkle roast with 1 Tbsp salt, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss bread crumbs with 2 tsp oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in 10" non-stick skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and cool to room temperature. Once cool, toss bread crumbs with shallot, garlic, 2 Tbsp horseradish, parsley, and thyme.

Rinse grated potato under cold water, then squeeze dry in kitchen towel. Transfer potatoes and remaining cup oil to 10" nonstick skillet. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until potatoes are golden brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to paper towel-lined plate and season lightly with salt; let cool for 5 minutes. Reserve 1 Tbsp oil from skillet and discard remainder. Once potatoes are cool, transfer to quart-sized zipper-lock bag and crush until coarsely ground. Transfer potatoes to baking sheet with bread-crumb mixture and toss to combine.

Pat exterior of tenderloin dry with paper towels and sprinkle evenly with remaining teaspoon pepper. Heat reserve tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Sear tenderloin until well browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and let rest 10 minutes.

Combine remaining 2 Tbsp horseradish, mayonnaise, and mustard in small bowl. Just before coating tenderloin, add gelatin and stir to combine. Spread horseradish paste on top and sides of meat, leaving bottom and ends bare. Roll coated sides of tenderloin in bread-crumb mixture, pressing gently so crumbs adhere in even layers that just cover horseradish paste; pat off any excess.

Return tenderloin to wire rack. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 120 to 125 degrees for medium-rare, 25 to 30 minutes.

Transfer roast to carving board and let stand for 20 minutes. Carefully cut meat crosswise into 1/2" thick slices and serve.



My notes:
I only used a one-pound tenderloin but did not cut the ingredients for the horseradish-crust in half. I should have. The final taste was a little over-powering.

I had a tough time with the potato part of the breading. The potatoes mashed together in the pan and ended up not being crispy enough to crush and use as breading. After cooking them for about 10 minutes, I ended up putting them back in the pan to get crispier.

Also, I cooked the tenderloin to about 140 degrees and let it sit for 20 minutes. I'd still say it was medium-rare.

I will make this again. It would be a good dish for company. It looks fancy but isn't really that complicated. And, it doesn't take all that long to cook.

(This time around, I served the tenderloin with Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes. YUM.)