Roast Beef Tenderloin with Port Sauce

Serves 10.

Salting the beef 24-36 hours in advance enhances flavor and texture.

Beef
1 4- to 5-pound trimmed whole beef tenderloin, tail end tucked under, tied every 3 inches
2 tsp coarse kosher salt

Sauce
4 T (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
3 T Cognac or brandy
1 fresh rosemary sprig
1 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
1 cup ruby or tawny Port
Simple Homemade Beef Stock (see recipe on other blog)

Roasting
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 T black peppercorns, coarsely cracked in mortar with pestle or in resealable plastic bag with mallet

Beef
Sprinkle entire surface of Beef Tenderloin with coarse kosher salt. Place beef on rack set over large rimed baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered at least 24 hours and up to 36 hours.

Sauce
Melt 2 T butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallots; saute until soft, 3 minutes. Add Cognac, rosemary, and 1 tsp cracked pepper and cook until liquid evaporates, 1 minute. Add Port; bring to simmer. Add all of beef stock. Boil until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes. Strain into medium saucepan, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids in strainer.

do ahead Can be made 24 to 36 hours ahead. Cool slightly, then cover and chill.

Roasting
Let beef stand at room temperature 1 hour before roasting. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425 F. Rub beef all over with oil; sprinkle with 2 T cracked peppercorns, pressing to adhere. Return beef to rack on baking sheet and roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 125 F for medium-rare (135 F to 140 F in thinnest part), about 30 minutes. Remove roast from oven and let rest 15 minutes.

Bring sauce to a boil; whisk in remaining 2 T butter. Season sauce to taste with salt and peper.

Cut off string from roast. Cut roast crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices; arrange on platter. Serve with sauce.

test-kitchen tip Salting in advance, also called dry brining, is often done to improve the texture of sinewy cuts of meat. But it also works magic on tender cuts, amping up flavor and juiciness. It sounds counterintuitive; for years the accepted wisdom was that pre-salting dries out meat. But the moderate salting you'll be doing here does the opposite. Water is first drawn out of the meat and then gets reabsorbed; this saltier, more flavorful moisture helps intensify taste. What's more, the exterior of the tenderloin dries out slightly, making it quicker to brown the oven.

From Bon Appetit, December 2007.