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Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Smoky Bacon Bourbon Sauce

1 1/2 cups dry red wine
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 3/4 cups canned beef broth
1 1/4 cups canned low salt chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 fresh thyme sprig
8 ounces bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter
4 1 inch thick beef tenderloin steaks
1 tablespoon bourbon
salt and pepper to taste

Boil wine and garlic in heavy medium saucepan until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Add next 5 ingredients; boil until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Set sauce aside.

Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium high heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Add flour to drippings in skillet; whisk to blend. Cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in sauce; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in another heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle steaks with pepper. Add salt to taste after cooking. Add to skillet and cook to desired doneness. After grilling 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer steaks to plates.

Mix bacon and bourbon into sauce. Spoon over steaks. Transfer steak to cutting board. Let steak stand 10 minutes to allow juices to set for easier slicing.

Meanwhile, heat reserved marinade and 2 tablespoons water to boiling over high heat; boil 2 minutes. To serve, thinly slice steak and serve with cooked marinade.

Serves 4.

Beef Tenderloin with Blackberry Port Wine Sauce

4 (4-6-oz.) Beef Tenderloin Steaks cut 3/4 to 1-in. thick)

Sauce:
1 large Shallot or small onion, finely diced
1 cup Blackberries, divided (fresh or frozen)
2 cups Port wine
1 tsp. Sugar
2 cups Beef stock
1 tbsp. Butter; softened

In a saucepan bring diced shallot, 3/4 cup blackberries, wine and sugar to boil. Boil gently to reduce wine to 1/2 cup. Strain and set liquid aside.

Boil beef stock in separate pan to reduce by half. This will take approx. 15 min.

Grill steaks or pan broil in a skillet 3-4 min. per side.

Whisk blackberry and port wine reduction into reduced beef stock. If sauce is too thin, dissolve 1 tsp. cornstarch in water, then sir into sauce and bring to boil. Whisk in 1 tbsp. softened butter.

Serve steaks with sauce and garnish with remaining blackberries.

Beef Tenderloin with Herb Cream Cheese Filling and Red Wine Sauce

Serves 4

Sauce Ingredients:

2 cups Dry Red Wine
1 cup Beef Stock or prepared Beef or Chicken Broth
1/4 cup Shallots, finely chopped
2 tsp. fresh Thyme, chopped
1/2 stick of chilled Butter, cut into pieces

Cream Cheese Filling:

4 (6 to 8-oz.) Tenderloin Steaks, cut about 1 1/2" thick
2 (8-oz.) packages Cream Cheese, warmed to room temperature
1 tsp. Garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh Thyme, chopped or 1/4 tsp. dried
1 tsp. fresh Tarragon, chopped or 1/4 tsp. dried
1 tsp. Green Onion or Chives, thinly sliced or chopped
1 tsp. fresh Basil, chopped
Salt and Black Pepper to season
2 Tbs. Olive Oil

To prepare the sauce, combine the dry red wine, beef stock, shallots, and thyme in a heavy medium-sized saucepan over high heat. Gently boil until reduced to 1/2 cup (usually about 30 minutes).

To prepare the tenderloin steaks, mix the cream cheese, garlic, thyme, tarragon, green onions or chives, and basil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. It's important to note that both the sauce and cheese mixture can be prepared ahead of cooking the steaks.

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Using a small sharp knife, cut an X in the top center of each steak, making sure to cut 3/4 of the way through the steaks. Fill each X with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. Season steaks with salt and pepper.

Warm the olive oil in heavy skillet over high heat. Add steaks and cook with cut sides down until browned, about one minute. Using a metal spatula, carefully turn steaks over, scraping up cheese crust along with steak. Cook until bottom is brown, about another minute.

Transfer the heavy skillet to oven and cook steaks to desired doneness, about 12 minutes for rare. Transfer steaks to serving plates. Tent with foil to keep warm.

Bring sauce to simmer. Remove from heat. Gradually add butter, whisking just until melted. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon the warm sauce over the steaks and serve.

Sauteed Tenderloin Steaks with Wine Sauce

Two 1 1/4-inch thick (8 ounces weight) tenderloin steaks, top loin center cut
1 tablespoon olive oil
Nonstick pan
Tablespoon or so finely sliced scallion
1/2 cup good red wine
1 tablespoon butter
Minced parsley or chopped chives
Salt and pepper

Trim steaks of excess fat and pat dry with towels; brush them lightly with some olive oil and lightly oil a nonstick pan. Saute steaks 1 1/2 minutes to 2 minutes a side for red rare; longer for medium. Remove steaks to a warm plate. Degrease most of the fat, leaving only a teaspoon in skillet. Add the scallions and stir for a moment. Pour in wine and scrape deglazings; boil down until syrupy. Remove from heat, add butter and parsley or chives if you wish; pour over steak

Tenderloin of Beef with Ancho Chili Sauce and Jack Cheese

Ancho Chili Sauce:

2 ounces dried ancho chilies
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and chopped
2 t. minced garlic
¼ diced red onion
2 t. olive oil
2 t. tomato paste
¼ cup beef stock
1 t. cumin
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. oregano
¼ t. ancho chili powder
2 ounce Light Jack Cheese
4-4 ounce beef tenderloin fillets (filet mignon is easier)

In a small bowl, cover dried ancho chiles with hot water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain chiles and scrape pulp off skin with spatula. Set pulp aside and discard skin.

In a medium saucepan, sauté garlic and onion in olive oil until tender. Add chile pulp, tomato paste, and chopped red bell pepper. Cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Add stock and seasonings, cover, and continue to simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

While sauce is cooking, preheat broiler or grill. I use the Weber, and then melt the cheese on top.

Slice Jack cheese into very thin strips about 3" long and 1/4:" wide.

Broil beef filets for 3 to 4 minutes for medium rare or to taste.

Crisscross two strips of cheese on top of each filet and return to broiler for 20 seconds to melt cheese.

Divide Ancho Chile Sauce among plates and set beef in center of sauce.

Servings: 4

Calories: 225
Carbo: 4 g
Fat: 11 g
Cholesterol: 77 mg
Protein: 26 g
Sodium: 99 mg

Adapted this from Great Tastes from the Canyon Ranch

FILLET OF BEEF WELLINGTON

Some say it was his favorite meal, and others claim it resembled the boots that he wore. Whatever the case may be, the Duke of Wellington has a grand dish named after him, which became the entertaining extravaganza of the 1960s.

a 3 1/2-pound fillet of beef tied with thin sheets of larding fat at room temperature
3/4 pound mushrooms, chopped fine
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound pâté de foie gras (available at specialty foods shops) at room temperature
1 pound puff paste (page 196) or thawed frozen puff pastry plus additional for garnish if desired
1 large egg white beaten
an egg wash made by beating 1 large egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water
1/2 cup Sercial Madeira
2 teaspoons arrowroot dissolved in 1 teaspoon cold water
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons finely chopped black truffles (available at specialty food shops) if desired
watercress for garnish if desired

In a roasting pan roast the beef in the middle of a preheated 400°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the thermometer registers 120°F. Let the fillet cool completely and discard the larding fat and the strings. Skim the fat from the pan juices and reserve the pan juices.

In a heavy skillet cook the mushrooms in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until all the liquid they give off is evaporated and the mixture is dry, season them with salt and pepper, and let them cool completely. Spread the fillet evenly with the pâté de foie gras, covering the top and sides, and spread the mushrooms evenly over the pâté de foie gras. On a floured surface roll 1 pound of the puff paste into a rectangle about 20- by 12- inches, or large enough to enclose the fillet completely, invert the coated fillet carefully under the middle of the dough, and fold up the long sides of the dough to enclose the fillet brushing the edges of the dough with some of the egg white to seal them. Fold ends of the dough over the fillet and seal them with the remaining egg white. Transfer the fillet, seam side down to a jelly-roll pan or shallow roasting pan and brush the dough with some of the egg wash. Roll out the additional dough and cut the shapes with decorative cutters. Arrange the cutouts on the dough decoratively, brush them with the remaining egg wash, and chill the fillet for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours. Bake the fillet in the middle of a preheated 400°F oven for 30 minutes, reduce the heat to 350°, and bake the fillet for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until the meat thermometer registers 130°F. for medium-rare meat and the pastry is cooked through. Let the fillet stand for 15 minutes.

In a saucepan boil the reserved pan juices and the Madeira until the mixture is reduced by one fourth. Add the arrowroot mixture, the broth, the truffles, and salt and pepper to taste and cook the sauce over moderate heat, stirring, being careful not to let it boil, for 5 minutes, or until it is thickened. Loosen the fillet from the jelly-roll pan, transfer it with two spatulas to a heated platter, and garnish it with watercress. Serve the fillet, cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices, with the sauce.

Serves 8

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