Porcini and Rosemary Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce

By • October 13, 2011 • 92 Comments


Author Notes: This roast is worth celebrating. Dried porcini mushrooms are blitzed to a powder with fresh rosemary sprigs, creating an umami-rich crust for beef. It's stand alone good, but when served with a port wine reduction infused with rosemary and porcini, it becomes an elegant dinner worthy of any holiday celebration. If you have the time, salt the meat well in advance. This will ensure juicy results and a crispy crust. I used a combination of port and red wine for the sauce. The red wine may be substituted with additional port.TasteFood

Food52 Review: TasteFood's roast is definitely a show-stopper. Salting and drying the meat in the fridge overnight ensures perfect seasoning, a lovely internal texture and a beautiful crust. The porcini rosemary rub smelled so intense that we were hesitant to use all of it on the meat, but we did and found the flavors mellowed nicely in the oven. We trussed our tenderloin, and you may want to as well for the best results. The rich, winey sauce gains an earthy depth from the additional porcini, and while it may be a thinner gravy than you're used to (to us, it's perfect), it is certainly not lacking in flavor. - A&MA&M

Serves 6-8

For the Beef Tenderloin:

  • 1 center-cut beef tenderloin, 3 pounds
  • Salt
  • 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • Olive oil
  1. Season the tenderloin all over with salt. Refrigerate 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Thirty minutes before roasting remove beef from refrigerator.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine mushrooms, rosemary and peppercorns in spice grinder. Grind to a coarse powder. Rub beef with olive oil. Coat all over with porcini rosemary rub. (Note: Make sure your mushrooms are completely dry and brittle, or they won't willingly grind into powder. If they're at all pliant, you can dry them out in the oven until they break easily.)
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add beef and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a roasting pan. Roast in oven until thermometer inserted in thickest part reads 125 F., about 30 minutes, for medium rare. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let stand for 15 minutes.
  4. Carve beef in 1/4 inch slices. Serve with Port Wine Sauce.

For the Port Wine Sauce:

  • 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted in 3/4 cup water, liquid reserved
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 cup port wine
  • 1 cup heavy bodied red wine
  • 2 rosemary sprigs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  1. Strain the porcini water through an un-bleached paper towel into a small bowl. Reserve strained liquid. Coarsely chop porcini.
  2. Using the same skillet from browning the meat, add 1 tablespoon butter, shallots and chopped porcini. Sauté over medium heat until shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add port wine, scraping up any brown bits in the pan. Add red wine, mushroom stock and rosemary. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered until sauce is reduced by about half to approximately 1 1/2 cups. Add salt and taste for seasoning. Strain through a fine-meshed seive into a small saucepan, pressing firmly on solids. Discard solids.
  4. Heat sauce over medium heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Keep warm until serving.

Comments (92) Questions (8)

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3 months ago Debbie Levi

Hi, this recipe looks lovely. Quick question - is it possible for me to seal the meat in advance (in the afternoon) and then roast it in the oven later just prior to eating? If so, what temperature should the meat be at medium (supposing i bring the meat up close to room temperature). Cheers

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4 months ago Paula gilvarry

For Myles!

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4 months ago anaevas

Mouth-watering. Thank you! Great recipe.

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5 months ago Catherine Maher

Just made this tonight, thank you Jessica Seinfeld. It was delicious and so easy!

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about 1 year ago bspears

I made this just the other night for the first time. I had to dry the porcini in the oven just a bit as suggested and this filled the house with a wonderful earthy aroma. The rub does have an intense smell but at serving time it has mellowed to a subtle collection of earthy flavors complemented beautifully by the reduction sauce. I have only been cooking for about a year and I thought I might have trouble with this recipe but it turned out to be pretty easy for me. I served it to some good friends from Texas who are not shy about letting me know if I killed a cow for no reason and they loved it. This definitely goes on the permanent list and I will be making this again. @tastefood.......just fantastic. Thanks!

Kabul1

over 1 year ago jifferb

I made this tonight and it was fantastic. Just one glitch - I am guessing this is because I did not ground the porcini-rosemary-peppercorn rub into a fine enough powder but when I seared the meat (only 3 min on each side), the crust burned. Which was a bummer - even though the meat and the sauce were still delish. What do you think - my fault for not grounding the mixture finer? Or was the pan too hot (the oil was not smoking)? Btw, we started with Mrs. Wheelbarrow's creamy mushroom soup (best mushroom soup recipe from the first book) and it went fabulously together. Anyway, will definitely make this again, but would like to correct this initial mistake. Thanks!

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over 1 year ago whyo4

I know I'm late asking this but: What would be a good replacement for the wine? I'm thinking a bit of veg broth, chick broth and beef broth.

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

I recommend substituting beef stock for the red wine.

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over 1 year ago jmrobot

Made this for Christmas dinner....awesome!! I also added in herbes de provence, viking smoked sea salt and dried shiitake mushrooms to the rub. Then poured on some balsamic and wine before roasting. Added extra mushrooms and balsamic and leftover rub to the sauce to pour over. Delish!!

Hummus1

over 1 year ago hyphenatedchef

I also made this for Christmas and my family pronounced it the best feast ever. I think the recipe's simplicity is its strength, and the success may have partially been because I used a spectacular piece of beef (local, massaged, serenaded with Bach, etc). Re: salt, DStewnpg, did you maybe use a salt that was too fine? I salted mine the night before and it was perfect. My own issue with the recipe was that the sauce wasn't flavorful enough. I reduced it beyond what was called for (think I wound up wtih 1 1/4 cups) but still had to pump it up a little with an extra tablespoon of really good port AFTER it came off the stove.

Hummus1

over 1 year ago hyphenatedchef

I also made this for Christmas and my family pronounced it the best feast ever. I think the recipe's simplicity is its strength, and the success may have partially been because I used a spectacular piece of beef (local, massaged, serenaded with Bach, etc). Re: salt, DStewnpg, did you maybe use a salt that was too fine? I salted mine the night before and it was perfect. My own issue with the recipe was that the sauce wasn't flavorful enough. I reduced it beyond what was called for (think I wound up wtih 1 1/4 cups) but still had to pump it up a little with an extra tablespoon of really good port AFTER it came off the stove.

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over 1 year ago DStewnpg

I made this yesterday for Christmas but it was a bit too salty. Was I supposed to rinse the tenderloin before I put on the olive oil and mushroom, rosemary coating. The sauce was amazing and I accompanied it with smashed red potatoes-baked then smashed individually, sprinkled a touch of rosemary, pepper and parmesan cheese then under the broiler, and sauted asparagus. The presentation was beautiful and the beef was cooked perfectly, just a little too salty. Thanks for any comments

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Next time, try using kosher salt for rubbing the meat. It is less salty than table salt while its large crystals are very effective in drawing moisture out of meats, which is what you want to achieve as it rests in the refrigerator overnight. Hopefully that will help!

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over 1 year ago dymnyno

I am always looking for fabulous red wine recipes and this is one that is on the menu! Nothing against cheap cuts made delicious, but there is no substitute for the very best ingredients like beef tenderloin and fine red wine.

Buddhacat

over 1 year ago SKK

I made this several weeks ago to rave reviews and my sister asked for the recipe to serve yesterday. She just called to say it was a total win. It is part of our family repertoire now - a real keeper! Thanks again for sharing this recipe!

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over 1 year ago Michael Rawding

Also made this for Christmas dinner and it was smashing. Definitely on my list of classics!

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over 1 year ago Mrs. McB

Delicious! I made it last night for Christmas dinner. It was simple to make, presented elegantly, and had wonderful complex taste. thank you!

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over 1 year ago zoemetrouk

Thank you TasteFood! This recipe was divine. I made it last night and it was a huge hit and worth every penny! In fact, a few guest wanted the recipe for the port wine sauce to use with steak sandwiches and as a burger topping.

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over 1 year ago jlsm

This recipe represents what I consider a great failing of this Website: a total disregard for cost. When testing, folks should ask themselves: Do the results justify the cost? In this case, no. After spending $80 on a 6-pound prime tenderloin, the recipe had me paying another $20 for dried porcini. The results were good, not out-of-this-world fantastic, which might justify the cost. I won't make it again.

Buddhacat

over 1 year ago SKK

Quick question jlsm - where did you find beef tenderloin for only $13 a pound? That is truly a bargain!

You are totally justified in your choice in not making this recipe again. And one of the things I love about Food52 is when a recipe goes wrong, I can communicate with the author of the recipe to find out what I did that didn't work. This dialogue always contributes to my talents as a cook.



Hummus1

over 1 year ago hyphenatedchef

Anyone have any recommendations for side dishes that go well with this?

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over 1 year ago gina_berthold

I made it with mashed potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, and roasted brussel sprouts. Went really well together.

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over 1 year ago bettybites

My mouth is watering! Do you think this will work with a bottom round roast?

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over 1 year ago Jblanke

I was planning on making this for Christmas but my 17 yr old grandson HATES mushrooms, do you think I can get away with this recipe or is the porcini taste too much?

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

If you grind the porcini to a powder, the flavor will be perceived more as an enhancement of the meat rather than mushroom. If the porcini are a little chunky, however, more mushroom flavor will come through. And just omit the porcini from the port wine sauce.

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over 1 year ago Saltlakecityfoodie

I made this tonight with great success. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe! I always have a jar of porcini mushroom powder to add a liitle umami to soups and sauces. I used the powder I had instead of grinding up dried mushrooms and it worked great. I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans with cashews.

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over 1 year ago loves2eat

Looking forward to serving this at a dinner party next weekend. What sides do you recommend? I'm thinking of scalloped potatoes and roasted root vegetables. Thx.

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Eek! I am so sorry for the late response. I hope your dinner party went well. I think the accompaniments you were thinking of are perfect.

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over 1 year ago loves2eat

No worries. I eneded up with roasted butternut squash with pancetta, garlic and sage and scalloped potatoes. The tenderloin and squash were home runs. Thanks for the great recipe. Squash recip from NY Times is: http://www.nytimes.com...

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over 1 year ago Boolicious

I just made this recipe last night for my family. My 6-year old son finished his plate before I even sat down. And my husband was only satisfied after 3 helpings. Great tip on drying out the porcini mushrooms in advance — my batch was a bit pliable so I popped them in the oven for about 10 minutes on 325. I only had time to allow the meat to nap in it's salt-crusted blanket for 3 1/2 hours but the meat was still incredibly tender. One comment: I really coated the meat in the porcini/rosemary powder and while I was searing it the powder would naturally fall off into the pan. I was worried this left-over powder might burn in the oven and ruin the sauce so I wiped the pan out while I was searing. This was a messy process as little black crumbles fell onto my stove and countertop. Next time I will be more liberal with the pre-olive oil brushing to make sure the powder really sticks to the meat and discard the left-over powder. I will make this recipe over and over again! Thanks!!

Mlseav

over 1 year ago ennuianomie

Made this roast this past weekend. The fragrance of the porcini and rosemary crust throughout the house was divine. The port wine sauce initially seemed a bit on thin side - but it infused into the meat when served beautifully. Delicious!

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over 1 year ago dymnyno

Lynda, I made this for a dinner party last night. It was so elegant my guests almost went home to change their clothes! I browned the roast a couple of hours before my guest arrived, and while they were on their first course I popped the roast into a preheated oven and it all came together. Sauce was fabulous. (I used Cabernet)

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over 1 year ago madame cuisine

Congratulations! This looks fabulous!

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over 1 year ago marianne.bush

Congrats, Lynda. A winning recipe indeed. I've done the port wine sauce but never with the porcine. Fabulous.

Scotti250

over 1 year ago astackofdishes

Absolutely beautiful and yummy looking! Congrats!

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over 1 year ago Kitchen Butterfly

Congratulations.....it looks wonderful!

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over 1 year ago Ms. T

Congratulations--looks SO good!

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over 1 year ago sexyLAMBCHOPx

Great recipe & congrats!

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over 1 year ago dymnyno

Congratulation on another winning recipe!!

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over 1 year ago Veronica

Congratulations! This looks so delicious I can almost taste it. Thanks so much--definitely going on my "must make soon" list!

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over 1 year ago EmilyC

This is such a beautiful roast -- congrats on your win!

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over 1 year ago sdebrango

Suzanne is a trusted source on General Cooking.

Congratulations on the win, its wonderful recipe!

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over 1 year ago MrsWheelbarrow

Cathy is a trusted source on Pickling/Preserving.

It's a lovely roast, Lynda. I'm so happy for you! This will be on a holiday menu this year, for sure.

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Thank you everyone for your votes and your comments! Christmas came early this year :)

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over 1 year ago creamtea

This looks just delicious. Congratulations!

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over 1 year ago fiveandspice

Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.

Congrats on your win Tastefood!

Jampro

over 1 year ago Bevi

Congrats on your win!

Me

over 1 year ago wssmom

Congratulations on a wonderful recipe!

Stringio

over 1 year ago blanka.n

I will probably try this one over the holidays. It's quite impressive. I just hate that porcini and tenderloin are so pricey. The Sauce is perfection.

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over 1 year ago Jblanke

forget the prime rib on Christmas, I am going to make this, it looks delicious and easy!

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over 1 year ago Waverly

Looks delicious!

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over 1 year ago Ms. T

Congrats--this looks mouth-watering good! Definitely adding it to my must-make list :)

Ozoz_profile

over 1 year ago Kitchen Butterfly

Simple but stunning.....congrats TasteFood - good looking is the word

Steve_dunn02

over 1 year ago Oui, Chef

This WILL be my Christmas roast this year....Awesome!

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

yay!

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over 1 year ago Meatballs&Milkshakes

I might try this for a dinner party next week!

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

If you do, please let me know how it was.

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over 1 year ago EmilyC

Wow -- this looks amazing -- congrats!

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Thanks, EmilyC!

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over 1 year ago EmilyC

Wow -- this looks amazing -- congrats!

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over 1 year ago gingerroot

Congratulations! This looks amazing.

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Thank you, gingerroot!

Buddhacat

over 1 year ago SKK

Oh, divine! Not waiting for the holidays for this one.

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

I hope you don't!

Monkeys

over 1 year ago monkeymom

This looks SO good! A big congrats to you!

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Thank you monkeymom - see you soon :)

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over 1 year ago Summer of Eggplant

Wonderful! Can't wait to make it!

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Thank you!

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over 1 year ago hardlikearmour

hardlikearmour is a trusted home cook.

Congrats, TF! I had a feeling this beauty would be a finalist.

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Thank you!

Sausage2

over 1 year ago fiveandspice

Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.

This looks like the holidays, indeed. What a beauty! Congratulations!

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Christmas came early last week when I made this!

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over 1 year ago Midge

Love this. Congrats TasteFood!

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Thanks, Midge!

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over 1 year ago sdebrango

Suzanne is a trusted source on General Cooking.

Congratulations, lovely recipe sounds absolutely delicious!

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Thank you!

Me

over 1 year ago wssmom

This is just lovely!! Congratulations on being a finalist!

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Thanks so much, wssmom!

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over 1 year ago drbabs

Barbara is a trusted source on General Cooking.

Called it! Congratulations on being a finalist!

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Thanks, drbabs!

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over 1 year ago AntoniaJames

AntoniaJames is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.

This one had "finalist" all over it when I first saw it. Congratulations!! ;o)

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Thank you, AJ :)

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over 1 year ago hardlikearmour

hardlikearmour is a trusted home cook.

This sounds like a perfect main course for a fancy dinner party!

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Yes, indeed. We enjoyed it last week for my husband's birthday.

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over 1 year ago The Internet Cooking Princess

This sounds amazing! I'd make this on a non-holiday!

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

I call Thursday a holiday.

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over 1 year ago TasteFood

Thank you for your comments, everyone!

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over 1 year ago Lizthechef

What a winner you have shared with us all! Congratulations.

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over 1 year ago aargersi

Abbie is a trusted source on General Cooking.

This goes on the "make soon" list!

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over 1 year ago drbabs

Barbara is a trusted source on General Cooking.

This looks amazing.

Newliztoqueicon-2

over 1 year ago Lizthechef

Looks perfect for Christmas dinner - love the dried porcini addition - glorious photo as well.

Jampro

over 1 year ago Bevi

This sounds amazing! The sauce - yum!