Provencal Beef Tenderloin Recipes

BEEF PROVENCALE

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the oil to the skillet and heat just until beginning to smoke. Brown the meat all over and sear the roast, turning as each side turns a deep mahogany, about 10 minutes. While the meat browns, put the flour into a medium bowl and whisk with about 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth until smooth.
• Crush the tomatoes through your fingers into the slow cooker; stir in their juices, 3 tablespoons of the cognac, herbes de Provence, and the 2 teaspoons salt.
• Transfer the browned meat to the slow cooker. Add the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth to the skillet; let it bubble for a minute and then stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour over the meat, then scatter the garlic, carrots, fennel, and onion over and around the meat. Pour the flour mixture over. Cover the cooker, set it on HIGH, and cook for 4 hours. Set the cooker on LOW and cook until the meat is very tender, up to 2 hours more (for a total of 6 hours). Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Skim any excess fat off the top of the sauce in the cooker.
• To finish the sauce: Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon cognac, the tomato tapenade, parsley, and orange zest into the vegetables and sauce in the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slice the meat and lay the slices down the center of a serving platter. Arrange the vegetables around the meat and spoon some sauce over the top. Serve with hot buttered egg noodles. Pass the remaining sauce.

HERB- AND SPICE-ROASTED BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH RED WINE-SHALLOT SAUCE

Steps:

• For sauce:
• Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in sugar; sauté until shallots are golden, about 15 minutes longer. Add flour, herbs, orange peel, nutmeg and cloves; stir 1 minute. Pour in broth, wine and brandy. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1 3/4 cups, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill.)
• For tenderloin:
• Grind first 10 ingredients in processor. With machine running, add oil and blend well. Spread mixture evenly over all sides of tenderloins. Place beef in large glass baking dish. Cover with foil; chill at least 6 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place beef on rack in large roasting pan. Roast until meat thermometer inserted into center of beef registers 125°F for rare, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with foil; let stand 10 minutes.
• Transfer beef to cutting board. Pour any accumulated juices from roasts into sauce. Bring sauce to boil. Remove from heat; whisk in butter. Season with salt and pepper. Slice beef. Serve with sauce.

BOEUF A LA GORDIENNE (PROVENCAL BRAISED BEEF)

Steps:

• Cut the meat into 2-inch cubes. Peel the onion and stud with cloves. Tie together the thyme, sage, bay leaf, celery and orange rind to make a bouquet garni. Place the cubes of meat into a large bowl and cover with the wine and vinegar. Add the bouquet garni, garlic and onion, cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the pork rind into 3/4-inch squares. Drop into boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain. Scatter 2/3 cup of the squares of the bottom of a 4-qt. enameled pot.
• Heat the oil in a nonstick 11-inch saute pan. Add the carrots and cook over high heat until lightly browned and caramelized, 7 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Drain the cubes of meat and pat dry. Cut the bacon into thin matchsticks. Lightly brown the meat and the bacon in the same pan used for the carrots, about 5 minutes.
• Place the meat and bacon in the pot and surround with carrots. Cover the meat with the remaining squares of pork rind and pour the marinade over. Add the bouquet garni, garlic and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot with a sheet of oiled waxed paper or parchment paper and place the lid on top. Bake for up to 5 hours, checking for doneness. (The recipe says five hours, but my dad thought this was too long, so judge as you will.).
• Remove the onion, garlic and bouquet garni from the pot. If desired, boil the cooking juices over high heat for several minutes to reduce to a syrupy consistency. Serve the meat with the carrots, bacon, pork rind and sauce.

PROVENCAL BEEF TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Place tenderloin on a sheet of plastic wrap.
• Combine the parsley, rosemary, mustard, garlic, organo, thyme, oil and pepper in a small bowl and blend together into a paste.
• Rub the meat with the paste and wrap it in the plastic and refrigerate 1 hour to blend the flavors.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Spray a baking dish or shallow roasting pan with cooking oil. Remove meat from the plastic wrap and place in the pan or dish.
• Roast until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees for rare, about 30-40 minutes. Let meat stand for 10 minutes before slicing.