Many recipes sear, then roast, beef tenderloin. But it takes a long time to sear a tenderloin straight from the refrigerator because a lot of surface moisture has to evaporate before any browning can occur. During this time, too much heat is transferred to the roast and you end up with a band of overcooked gray meat below the surface. We wanted to remedy this problem and make sure the recipe was foolproof. Center-cut beef tenderloin roast is also known as Châteaubriand. Ask your butcher to prepare a trimmed center-cut Châteaubriand, as this cut is not usually available without special ordering. If you are cooking for a crowd, this recipe can be doubled to make two roasts. Sear the roasts one after the other, wiping out the pan and adding new oil after searing the first roast. Both pieces of meat can be roasted on the same rack. We prefer this roast cooked to medium-rare, but if you prefer it more or less done, see our guidelines. You can omit the Shallot and Parsley Butter and serve the tenderloin with one of the sauces
Ingredients
- Tie roast with kitchen twine at 1½-inch intervals, then sprinkle evenly with salt. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.
- Pat roast dry with paper towels. Sprinkle roast evenly with pepper and spread unsalted butter evenly over surface. Transfer to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and roast until meat registers 120 to 125 degrees (for mediumrare), 40 to 55 minutes, flipping roast halfway through cooking.
- Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place roast in skillet and sear until well browned on all sides, 4 to 8 minutes. Transfer roast to carving board and spread 2 tablespoons Shallot and Parsley Butter evenly over top; let rest for 15 minutes. Remove twine and slice ½ inch thick. Serve, passing remaining Shallot and Parsley Butter separately.
