This glorious, pepper-rubbed roasted beef tenderloin is coated with herbed bread crumbs that have been mixed with anchovies, which add a nice pungent accent to the rich meat. The roast beef is served with a simple, flavorful red wine sauce.
Ingredients:
two 3-pound center-cut beef tenderloin roasts, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
salt
2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black peppercorns
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups dry red wine
2 cups veal demiglace (see note)
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425°. Rub the tenderloins all over with olive oil and season with salt and the cracked peppercorns. Set the tenderloins on a large, heavy-gauge rimmed baking sheet, allowing space between them, and roast in the upper third of the oven for 20 minutes.
In a medium bowl, mix the bread crumbs with the Parmesan, anchovies, garlic, thyme and parsley. Blend in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season the crumbs with salt and pepper.
Carefully pack the bread crumbs on top of each tenderloin. Lower the oven temperature to 400° and roast the meat for about 20 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 130° for medium-rare. Using 2 long spatulas, transfer the tenderloins to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, set the baking sheet over 2 burners. Add the wine and bring to a simmer over moderately high heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Strain the wine into a medium saucepan and simmer over high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup. Whisk in the veal demiglace and bring to a boil; simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the sauce stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and season the sauce with salt and pepper.
Using a gentle sawing motion, carve the beef tenderloins into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve, passing the remaining sauce at the table.
