Photo from Fine Dining magazine.
This is another
"10" meat dish that will be sure to please everyone you serve it to. The
lavender flowers give off a gentle hint of lavender. Be sure to try this
one. Since I dried my own lavender flowers this year, I've been
experimenting with ways to use them in my cooking.
Peppered Lavender Tenderloin Roast Recipe
Recipe Type:
Beef,
Tenderloin Roast,
Lavender,
Entree
Yields: 6 to 8 servings
Prep time: 15 min
Bake time: 40 min
Trimming the tenderloin roast:
Bring the tenderloin roast to room temperature before cooking.
Trim the tenderloin of fat and silverskin. Silverskin is a silvery-white connective tissue. It doesn't dissolve when the
tenderloin is cooked, so it needs to be trimmed away. If the silverskin is not
trimmed off, it will cause the tenderloin to curl up into the shape of a quarter
moon. If you ask, your butcher will do this for you.
Trussing the tenderloin roast:
Once the tenderloin roast is trimmed, it no longer has any structure and will start to flatten out. As you want the meat as round as possible for
even cooking and also for presentation, trussing is the key.
Using individual pieces of
kitchen twine/string to truss the roast. Tie the kitchen string around the tenderloin roast with equal spacing between
each truss. Tie the meat firmly, but not too tight. NOTE: I usually have my butcher do this for me.
Pat the beef dry with paper towels (this is important as surface moisture will interfere with good browning). Lightly oil outside of the roast.
In a small spice or coffee grinder, coarsely grind the black peppercorns, white peppercorns, fennel seeds, thyme, and lavender flowers;
rub mixture all over the meat. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight (preferably).
Searing the tenderloin roast:
By browning the meat's proteins and sugars, you are enhancing the meat's flavor even more. NOTE: The tenderloin roast that I cooked was
approximately 5 pounds and wouldn't fit in my fry pan. I used my large
cast-iron griddle to sear it. It worked great!
Heat a large cast-iron frying pan over high heat. Without adding any cooking fat, sear the roast on all sides (about 3 rotations, approximately 1 minutes
each). NOTE: Resist the temptation to constantly turn the beef from side to side and you'll be rewarded with a beautifully browned crust.
When browned, immediately remove from heat.
Roasting the tenderloin roast:
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Tenderloin, like other lean cuts of meat, are best roasted at a high heat rather
than baked at lower temperatures. Flavor comes from the browning, not from fat
slowly melting into the meat.
Place the seared roast in a large baking pan or roasting pan and bake, uncovered. Roast in oven approximately 20 to 40 minutes (depending on size of your roast)
until a
meat thermometer registers desired temperature (see below). NOTE: Turn tenderloin over halfway through cooking for
even browning.
Rare - 120°F
Medium Rare - 125°F
Medium - 130°F
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What constitutes rare and medium-rare cooked meat? To satisfy government home economists, the Beef
Council says rare beef means an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. Well, that is ok if you like well-done and dry meat. If you like moist, rosy meat (like I do),
rare begins at 120 degrees and starts to become medium rare at 125 or 130 degrees. To cook your meat properly, you must purchase and use a good instant-read digital
meat thermometer.
 This
is the type of cooking and meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking. I get many readers
asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the
Thermapen Thermometer shown in the photo on the right. Originally designed for professional users, the
Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is used by chefs all over the world. To learn more about this excellent
thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just click on the underlined:
Thermapen Thermometer.
Residual Heat or Carry-Over Cooking: Remember, the steak will continue to cook as it sets. The
temperature will rise to 125 degrees F. to 130 degrees F. internal temperature (medium rare) at 15 to 20 minutes. So, pay attention to how long you let the cooked
steak sit before serving.
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When the tenderloin roast is cooked to your liking, remove from oven, and transfer onto a cutting board; cover with a tent of aluminum foil and let stand 15 minutes before carving
(meat temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees after it is removed from the oven).
When ready to serve:
Cut the roast into 1/2-inch slices. Transfer onto a serving platter and serve
immediately with any accumulated juices.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
