Tenderloin
· 4 to 6 pounds of beef tenderloin steak
· 4 tablespoons of olive oil
· 1 teaspoon of sea salt
· 2 tablespoon of Garlic paste (or make a fresh paste with 3-4 cloves of garlic) I use Gourmet Garden chunky garlic paste
· 3 tablespoons of Montreal Steak Seasoning (Enough to generously coat the tenderloin)
Peppercorn sauce
2/3 cup of cognac
1 ½ cups of water
2 tablespoons of BetterThan Bouillon beef base or 1 cup of beef stock (remove the 1½ cups of water infusing beef stock)
1 cup heavy cream
2 ½ teaspoons of black peppercorns
Directions:
Trim the fat from the tenderloin. Fold and tie both ends to form a uniform tube of steak.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Apply olive oil and sea salt over all sides of the tenderloin
Heat olive oil in a skillet over high heat.
Sear each side of the tenderloin to form a crust
Place in a roasting pan
Apply garlic paste over all sides of the tenderloin
Generously coat the tenderloin with Montreal steak seasoning
Place in the oven at 400 degrees for approximately 40 minutes (medium rare 125 to 140 degrees internal temperature) more or less to taste.
Rest tenderloin while you prepare the sauce.
Make the peppercorn sauce.
In the same skillet for searing the tenderloin, add cognac and let it simmer rapidly
Stir and Scrap the bottom of the pan for about a minute, until it is reduced
Stir in the water and Better than Bouillon or the beef broth, bring to simmer, reduce it by half.
Crush the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or with a rolling pin.
Turn down to medium heat and add heavy cream and peppercorns.
Simmer and stir for approximately another 2 minutes until it thick (Important: do not boil rapidly).
Slice and serve the tenderloin in¾ inch slices. Spoon over sauce. Serve immediately!
