Name: Pan-Seared Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 center-cut tenderloin steaks , about 1 inch thick; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 shallots , minced; 2 teaspoons tomato paste; 3/4 cup red wine (ruby port) (see note); 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth; 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme; 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Why This Recipe Works

Beef tenderloin has a soft, tender texture, but can often taste bland. We set out to create a pan-seared beef tenderloin recipe that delivered juicy, flavorful meat and a quick, restaurant-style pan sauce. Instead of red wine, using port in this sauce adds a rich sweetness. While tawny and vintage port are fine, we preferred the sweeter and typically less expensive ruby port. A bit of balsamic vinegar adds a kick of acidity to the port wine sauce that goes well with the pan-seared beef tenderloin. We made sure the pan was properly preheated before adding the steak—cooking in a pan that isn’t properly preheated leads to steaks that overcook before they develop a good crust. We heated a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat with a little vegetable oil until the oil smoked (the smoke indicated that the pan was hot enough).

Before You Begin

While tawny and vintage port will work in this recipe, we prefer to use the sweeter and typically less expensive ruby port.

Instructions

Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steaks until well browned and meat registers 125 degrees for medium-rare, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to platter and tent with foil.

Add remaining tablespoon oil and shallots to empty skillet and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Stir in port, broth, and thyme and simmer, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in vinegar, butter, and any accumulated steak juices. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over steaks. Serve.