Oh, yum! These juicy beef tenderloin steaks with garlic-herb compound butter are cooked to a perfect medium-rare and the garlic-herb butter enhances the flavors of this tender cut of beef.
Beef tenderloin is an elegant cut of meat and probably the most tender cut on the entire animal and it has very little fat to it. It is a flavorful, juicy cut of beef and since there is very little fat the addition of a sauce or herb rub will enhance the flavor.
We have added a garlic-herb compound butter that just oozes flavor.
The beef tenderloin steaks are first seared for three minutes on a really hot, cast iron griddle then they are flipped over and seared for an additional one minute. The entire griddle and steaks are popped into a preheated oven at 450°F and cooked for an additional 5 minutes to a nice medium-rare.
There are many variations to making a compound butter, I have blended lemon zest and fresh herbs to top off vegetable dishes as well as baked fish.
In this recipe for beef tenderloin steaks we mix garlic, fresh thyme and fresh rosemary, form it into a log, wrap it with parchment paper and chill it. While the finished steaks are resting, a thin slice of the butter is added to the top.
I recently learned from The World’s Healthiest Foods that if you let your crushed/chopped/grated garlic sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking it, the anti-cancer power, anti-inflammatory and other health benefits develop.
That is because the crushing/chopping/grating preparation activates garlic’s enzymes. If the garlic is cooked before this, the enzymes are destroyed.
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Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Garlic-Herb Compound Butter
Juicy beef tenderloin steaks cooked to a medium-rare and served with garlic-herb compound butter. The compound butter enhances the flavors of this tender cut of beef.
Ingredients
To Make the Garlic-Herb Butter
- 8 ounces butter, softened
- 3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
For the Steaks:
- 2 tenderloin steaks, 8 oz each and 1 to 1 1/4-inch thick
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh herbs or microgreens for garnishment
Instructions
For the Garlic-Herb Compound Butter:
- In a small dish, add the butter, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Use a spatula to combine all of the ingredients well. Transfer the mixture onto a small piece of parchment paper. Roll into a log and twist the ends shut. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or until the butter is firm.
For the Tenderloin Steaks:
- Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and place on the kitchen counter-top for 30 minutes prior to cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F
- Place a cast iron griddle or heavy-bottomed, oven-proof skillet on the stove-top over medium-high heat and allow it to preheat, about 5 minutes. Season both sides of the steaks generously with salt and pepper. Add the oil to the griddle and tilt the pan to distribute it a little. Place the steaks on the oily pan and do not move them for 3 minutes, let them sear to get a good crust. Flip the steaks and sear the other side for 1 minute.
- Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and cook for 5 minutes or until the temperature reaches 125°F with an instant read thermometer for medium-rare. Transfer the pan from the oven and place the steaks on a platter, cover with foil and allow to rest for 2-3 minutes.
- While the steaks are in the oven: Remove and unwrap the chilled log of garlic-herb butter from the refrigerator, cut two thin slices, reserve until steaks have rested.
To serve:
- Add a mound of hot mashed potatoes to each serving plate, place a tenderloin steak on each mound with a slice of the garlic-herb butter on top of the steak, garnish with fresh herbs or microgreens. Add accompanying vegetables to the plate and serve immediately.
q
February 13, 2016 at 6:53 AMThis looks like the perfect dish for valentine’s day! That compound butter makes this really special!
Pat
February 13, 2016 at 7:06 AMThanks, Sabrina….
John/Kitchen Riffs
February 10, 2016 at 8:56 AMIt’s funny, I was thinking just last night that it’s been way too long since I’ve last prepared beef tenderloin. Was actually looking at a recipe for poaching it, if you can believe that. Sounds interesting, but if I’m going to spring the big bucks for prime tenderloin, I’ll cook it the way you did. Love compound butters, btw — simple to do, but so tasty. Thanks for this.
Pat
February 10, 2016 at 9:35 AMHey, thanks for the comments, John. A poached tenderloin??? That is a new twist for sure! I’m not willing to experiment with a nice, expensive prime tenderloin though. Glad to hear you are trying my version, you will love it. And, the garlic-herb compound butter. 🙂