Tenderloin of Beef with Blue Cheese and Herb Crust

Simple and elegant, this dish is a sure winner; the delicious flavors of Madiera and blue cheese are a perfect choice with the beef tenderloin. We served this with garlic mashed potatoes and a Salad of Toasted Beets and Arugula with Blue Cheese Dressing.

I started tonight's dinner by placing scrubbed, and trimmed baby beets on a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzled with olive oil, topped with fresh thyme and seasoned with salt and pepper. I folded the foil securely around the beets and placed the sealed packet on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes until the beets were tender. Once the beets were tender, they were allowed to cool to room temperature before going into a mixing bowl. Arugula, celery leaves and toasted walnuts were added and the salad was set aside until serving time.

The entree part of the meal started with the sauce for the beef. I brought beef broth and Madeira to a boil and added a mixture of equal amounts of butter and flour. The flour-butter mixture was whisked in until completely dissolved. The sauce was simmered for about 20 minutes, until thickened and reduced by half.

While the sauce was simmering, some olive oil was heated in a skillet over high heat and the medallions were browned on each side for 2-3 minutes. The medallions were coated with a paste of breadcrumbs, blue cheese, parsley, chives, and pepper before going into a 350 degree oven for 6 minutes to come out a perfect medium rare.

The medallions were served on a pool of the Madeira sauce, with a side of garlic mashed potatoes.


A fabulous meal!