Beef tenderloin is perfect holiday fare. Add a rich stuffing and you’ve got the ultimate main course. The tenderloin’s thin, tapered shape, however, makes for uneven cooking; in the time it took us to develop a nice crust, the meat overcooked. Also, chunky fillings fell out of the meat when sliced. We wanted a stuffed beef tenderloin with a deeply charred crust, a tender, rosy-pink interior, and a flavorful stuffing that stayed neatly rolled in the meat. A center-cut tenderloin cooked more evenly than a whole one; plus, its cylindrical shape made the roast easier to stuff. Double-butterflying the meat gave us more space. Rubbing the stuffed, rolled, and tied roast with salt, pepper, and olive oil added flavor and helped develop a good crust when we seared the meat. We could fit just a cupful of stuffing, so we knew the flavors had to be intense. We decided on woodsy cremini mushrooms and caramelized onions, seasoned with Madeira and garlic; this luxurious combination made a savory-sweet jam-like filling that spread easily on the meat and held together well. Baby spinach added color and freshness. This recipe can be doubled to make two roasts. Sear the roasts one after the other, cleaning 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.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup Madeira or sweet Marsala wine
- 1 (2-pound) center-cut beef tenderloin roast, trimmed
- Kosher salt and pepper
- ½ cup baby spinach
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¾ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
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For the Stuffing
- Pulse mushrooms in food processor until coarsely ground, about 6 pulses. Heat butter and oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook until all the moisture has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are deeply browned and sticky, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Slowly stir in Madeira and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to plate and let cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes. For the Beef Roast
- Insert knife one-third of way up from bottom of roast along 1 long side and cut horizontally, stopping ½ inch from edge. Open roast and press flat; 1 side will be twice as thick. Continue cutting thicker side of roast in half, stopping ½ inch from edge; open roast and press flat.
- Pat roast dry with paper towels and season cut side with salt and pepper. Spread cooled mushroom mixture over cut side of roast, leaving ½-inch border on all sides; spread spinach over top and press gently to compress. Roll roast into tight cylinder, then tie with kitchen twine at 1½-inch intervals.
- Combine 1 tablespoon oil, 1½ teaspoons salt, and 1½ teaspoons pepper in small bowl, then rub roast with oil mixture; let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add roast to pan and cook until well browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer roast to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and transfer to oven. Roast until meat registers 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 20 to 22 minutes. For the Herb Butter
- While meat roasts, combine all ingredients in small bowl. Transfer roast to carving board and spread half of herb butter evenly over top; let rest for 15 minutes. Remove twine and slice ½ inch thick. Serve, passing remaining herb butter separately.
