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Mid-Rare Roasted Beef Tenderloin
Roasted Beef Tenderloin With Capsicum Salsa, Potato Truffle Gratin, And Caramelized Onions With Porcini Mushrooms and Fresh Thyme
The Art Of Roasting Beef Tenderloin
Cooking is the art of taking raw ingredients and turning them into something delicious like beef tenderloin. The subtle flavor profile is due to the lack of intermuscular fat, however, the flavor is traded for tenderness.
I’m going to show you how to cook the perfect beef tenderloin with red pepper salsa. The dish is easy enough for the novice cook and yet has all the elements that make it perfect for any occasion.
It can be prepared in stages, so don’t worry about having to spend too much time in the kitchen, just need a little bit of planning, which I can guide you through, step by step.
It’s easy to see why roasting a whole beef tenderloin is so popular, one piece cooked to one degree of doneness. You don’t have to worry about cooking individual steaks all exactly the same!
The succulent, tender meat transforms into something mouth-watering when cooked to perfection and served with red pepper salsa and truffle potato gratin.
The perfect roasted beef recipe begins with choosing the best cut of meat, trimming it properly, seasoning, and searing it on all sides.
Then roast at 356ºF (180ºC) until the internal temperature reaches 127ºF (53ºC) for rare or 134ºF (57ºC) for medium-rare. Once finished cooking, let the roast rest for 10 minutes before slicing into perfectly cooked steaks.
Should You Sear Beef Tenderloin Before Roasting?
The way I cook the perfect beef tenderloin is using my three-step process: first mix equal amounts of rice bran or vegetable oil and Himalayan pink salt, and smear it evenly all over the tenderloin.
Heat a cast-iron pan and sear on all sides, then roast in the oven. That way, the tenderloin gets a wonderful caramelized brown exterior without overcooking the inside. Heat the cast iron pan to medium-high heat, when the pan just starts to smoke.


What Is The Best Way To Cook A Beef Tenderloin?
The best way to cook beef tenderloin is to aggressively sear it in a cast-iron pan place the pan into the oven and cook for around 18 minutes.
You can check the tenderloin’s internal temperature with a digital meat thermometer before removing it from the oven and resting. Rest the tenderloin in a warm place on a rack for half the time you cooked it.
Larder Stables And Must Have Kitchen Tools
Essential Kitchen Tools – Must Haves
You can’t be at a professional level in the kitchen unless you own a variety of high-end tools. Genius kitchen gadgets are an essential part of any home cook’s or aspiring chef’s arsenal. From some of the best chef knives, and kitchen cookware, to wooden cutting boards. These will set you apart from others and get you ready with what you need to start making meals like a chef.
My Professional Recommendations

Many chefs, including myself, prefer sea salt like Maldon salt flakes or Himalayan pink salt. Both can be used for cooking and finishing. They have a refined flavor that brings out the natural taste of food.

Mid-Rare Roasted Beef Tenderloin
Ingredients
Beef Tenderloin
- 800 grams Beef Tenderloin - chateaubriand center cut
- Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Oil - rice bran or vegetable
Potato Truffle Gratin
- 2 tbsp Black truffle patѐ - optional
- 4 large Potatoes - agria peeled
- 50 grams Butter - unsalted
- Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red Pepper Salsa
- 1 each Red pepper aka Capsicum
- 1 tbsp Olive oil - extra virgin
- 1 tbsp Aged balsamic vinegar
- Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black pepper
Caramelized Onion and Porcini Mushroom
- 2 each Onions - brown
- 2 tbsp Porcini mushrooms - dried
- 1 each Tomato - diced
- Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Black Truffle Potato Gratin
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC (356ºF). Slice the potatoes on a mandolin.
- Place them into a bowl, season with salt, pepper, and add the black truffle patѐ.
- You can make the potato truffle gratin the day before or in the morning. That way when it comes to cooking the beef tenderloin, that’s all you’ll need to think about. Mix well, line a rectangle baking tin with baking paper and start layering the sliced potatoes until they have all been used up.Slice the butter and lay it on top, cover the tin with aluminum foil, and place it into the oven for 35 – 45 minutes.When cooked carefully remove the foil, poke a knife into the center of the gratin it should be quite tender.Place into the fridge to completely cool, the cooling process should take only 2 hours to cool.
Preparing The Beef Tenderloin
- You can buy a prepared center cut-piece, also called the Chateaubriand from your local butcher.Or you can buy a whole tenderloin and clean it yourself which is what I prefer to do.That way I also get the tail and the head which I can use for other things. Wrap the Chateaubriand and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- CHEFS TIP: Letting the beef tenderloin sit at room temperature for 30 minutes will allow the beef to cook more evenly as the internal temperature isn’t fridge-cold before cooking. Fridge cold 4-5ºC (-39 -41ºF).
Red Pepper Salsa
- Remove the seeds and finely dice the red pepper.
- Place into a bowl and add the virgin olive oil, balsamic and Himalayan pink salt, and freshly ground black pepper.The virgin olive and balsamic vinegar with macerate the red pepper making them soft and sweet with a little acidity.Cover and leave to stand until needed.
Caramelized Onion and Porcini Mushroom
- Pour boiling water over the mushrooms and let them sit for 5 minutes.
- Drain the mushrooms, keep the mushroom water, and slice, thinly slice the onions
- Place the thinly sliced onions, porcini mushroom, and water they were soaked in, and tomato into a pot.Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent.The mushroom water will evaporate and the onions will start to caramelize, season to taste.
Portioning The Black Truffle Potato Gratin
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC (356ºF).Remove the gratin from the baking tin and portion into 4 even pieces. Heat a pan and shallow fry the gratin on both sides, finish in the oven until golden and crispy.
Cooking The Beef Tenderloin
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC (356ºF).First, mix equal amounts of rice bran or vegetable oil and Himalayan pink salt, and smear it evenly all over the tenderloin.Heat a cast-iron pan and sear on all sides, place the pan into the oven and cook for around 18 minutes.I love my beef med-rare, if that’s not to your liking you can cook it longer.You can check the tenderloin’s internal temperature with a digital temperature probe before removing it from the oven and resting.Rest the tenderloin in a warm place on a rack for half the time you cooked it, for me that would be a rest time of 9 minutes.
Plating The Roasted Beef Tenderloin
- Here is the way I would plate the beef tenderloin, however, it's up to you.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Serving Size: 180g Roasted Beef Tenderloin, capsicum salsa, potato truffle gratin, caramelized onion, and porcini mushrooms.
Calories 818 | Total Fat 57.5 g | Carbohydrates 21.6 g | Fiber 4.1 g | Protein 51.5 g | Iron 6.7 mg
Plating The Roasted Beef Tenderloin
Meat Doneness Chart
Meat Doneness | Temp (ºC) | Temp (ºF) |
---|---|---|
Blue | 43ºC | 110ºF |
Rare | 49 – 53ºC | 120 – 127ºF |
Med-Rare | 54 – 57ºC | 129 – 134ºF |
Medium | 58 – 61ºC | 136 – 141ºF |
Mid-Well | 62 – 65ºC | 143 – 149ºF |
Well Done | 65ºC and Above | 149ºF and Above |

The Secret To Insanely Good Roasted Beef Tenderloin
There you have it the secret to insanely good roast beef tenderloin, I’ve shared everything you’ll need to cook this amazingly easy dish.
Using my three-step process: first mix equal amounts of rice bran or vegetable oil and Himalayan pink salt, and smear it evenly all over the tenderloin.
Secondly, heat a cast-iron pan and sear aggressively on all sides, then roast in the oven. Cook for around 18 minutes. Heat the cast iron pan to medium-high heat, when the pan just starts to smoke.
You can check the tenderloin’s internal temperature with a digital meat thermometer before removing it from the oven and resting it.
Thirdly rest the tenderloin in a warm place on a rack for half the time you cooked it. This will give you the perfect roasted beef tenderloin.
This dish is the perfect example of taking a few simple ingredients and creating something amazing. The beef tenderloin is easy enough for any novice cook, it also has all the elements that make it perfect for special occasions.
If you’re looking for an impressive main course that doesn’t require complicated chefy cooking techniques, then look no further than roasted beef tenderloin.
You’ve got your partner’s family coming over for dinner and you want to impress them. You should be cooking this roasted beef tenderloin dish.