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Dry-Rubbed Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Nothing says “special occasion” more eloquently than beef tenderloin. To make sure the mild flavor of the meat is front and center, we rub it with a fragrant paste of fresh herbs, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil before oven-roasting. You can even skip the red wine sauce and drizzle the sliced meat with more olive oil.

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds beef tenderloin, trimmed, but left whole
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, plus an extra sprig for a garnish
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus an extra sprig for a garnish
  • 2 tablespoons peeled minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)

For the sauce:

  • 1 cup good red wine, preferably Italian
  • 2 tablespoons chopped peeled shallots
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon cold butter

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place an empty, heavy-bottomed roasting pan into the oven for 10 minutes. While it is heating, combine 1/4 cup of olive oil, the thyme, rosemary, garlic, pepper, and salt in a bowl. Rub this seasoning paste evenly over the beef tenderloin.

Step 2

After 10 minutes, remove the roasting pan from the oven, drizzle the 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan, tilt to coat the bottom of the pan, and add the seasoned meat. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the tenderloin over and return to the oven to sear the second side for an additional 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and cook until the meat reaches your desired doneness using a meat thermometer (an internal temperature of 135°F for medium rare), approximately 15 to 18 minutes of additional cooking time.

Step 3

In the meantime, make the wine sauce: In a saucepan, combine the wine, shallots, and salt and pepper. Reduce by half. Whisk in the thyme and butter just to heat through. When the tenderloin has finished
roasting, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Slice the tenderloin into 1/2-inch slices and arrange on a platter. Spoon some wine sauce over the top.

Serves 8 — Recipe adapted from epicurious.com

Ribollita

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

While you can make Ribollita your own by adding in other vegetables, three ingredients define this soup: cannellini beans, hearty (and stale) Tuscan bread, and Tuscan kale. If you’ve been saving your Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds, now is the perfect time to use two of them!

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 
  • 2 medium onions, diced 
  • 4 large carrots, diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
  • 1 large bunch Tuscan kale
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 6 cups vegetable stock or water 
  • One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 2 pieces of Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, if available
  • 3 cups cooked cannellini beans, homemade or two 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained  
  • 2 or more cups of hand-torn stale Tuscan bread
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Step 1

Heat a Dutch oven or stockpot, and when hot, add the olive oil, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat to soften but not brown the vegetables. Sprinkle on the salt to help them release their liquid. Add the kale and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the black and red pepper and the herbs; stir and then add the water or stock, the canned tomatoes with all their liquid, and the cheese rinds if available. Bring to a simmer and add the beans. Simmer for 30 minutes, and then add the bread. Cook for another 10 minutes to break down the bread a bit.

Step 2

To serve, ladle into bowls, drizzle on a generous amount of olive oil, and finish with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Serves 10

Garlic- and Pepper-Crusted Beef Tenderloin

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Ancient Indian and Egyptian cultures used peppercorns as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic. Rich in antimicrobial compounds, pepper acted as a preservative, too. Contemporary research has found that there’s science to back up those early practices, thanks primarily to the powerful compound piperine, the source of its spicy punch. It has enzymes that help the body better absorb both conventional and herbal medications—turmeric supplements often come with piperine for this reason. There’s even the possibility that it could play a role in the development of medications to combat illnesses as varied as Parkinson’s, cancer, and depression. According to studies in Phytotherapy Research and other journals, although research is still in the early stages (most has been done only in the lab), one day there could be value well beyond pepper’s great taste for making it an important part of the diet.

Ingredients

  • 8 cloves garlic, peeled 
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil plus 2 tablespoons for searing 
  • 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black peppercorns
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh rosemary needles from a 3- or 4-inch sprig 
  • 2 tablespoons coarse grain mustard
  • One 3-pound center-cut beef tenderloin, trimmed 

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 450ºF. In a small food processor, combine the garlic and salt and process until the garlic is finely chopped. Let it rest for 10 minutes for the powerful allicin in the garlic to develop. Add the olive oil, black pepper, thyme, and rosemary, and process until the herbs are evenly chopped. Stir in the mustard.

Step 2

Heat a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven on the stovetop. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Sear the beef tenderloin on all sides until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning with tongs. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let cool slightly.

Step 3

Coat the meat evenly on all sides with the garlic, pepper, and herb mixture. Transfer the tenderloin to a meat rack set in a roasting pan. Roast the tenderloin until the internal temperature reaches desired doneness on an instant-read thermometer, about 20 to 30 minutes (depending on its thickness). So that the juices will redistribute, let it rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.

Yields 8 servings.

Roasted Squash and Sage Risotto

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Risotto is a time-honored classic from Milan, in northern Italy, where the culinary emphasis is on dairy, unlike the tomato-based dishes of the south. It’s labor-intensive because you must slowly add liquid to the rice and stir constantly to coax it to creamy perfection. Risotto is an impressive dish for entertaining, but you want to have the technique down first. While you don’t want to make your first risotto when company’s coming, it can be mastered quickly, and once you know the basics, you can start to experiment with different ingredients—shrimp, wild mushrooms, peas and leaks…risotto is infinitely customizable.

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 pound squash, such as Hubbard or kabocha 
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
  • 3 large fresh sage leaves, finely minced 
  • 1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and thinly sliced crosswise 
  • 5 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, homemade or low-sodium canned 
  • 1-1/2 cups rice, such as Carnaroli, Vialone Nano or arborio
  • 1 cup dry white wine, warmed
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
  • 5 ounces baby spinach, rinsed and patted dry with paper towel
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel, seed and cut the squash into 1″ cubes to make 2 cups (if your yield is higher, roast them all and save the overflow to toss in a salad the next day). Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet, add the squash and sage and toss to coat. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender, flipping them with your metal spatula at the halfway point. 

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-low heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the leeks and sauté them until soft, but don’t let them color. While they’re cooking, heat the stock in a saucepan. Once the leeks are soft, immediately add the rice to the sauté pan and stir to thoroughly coat with the oil. Cook until the rice is slightly translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the wine and nutmeg, and stir until the liquid has nearly evaporated. Ladle a cup of the hot stock into the rice mixture and stir attentively. When the liquid has mostly been absorbed, stir in another cup of hot stock. Repeat until the rice is nearly al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano, the roasted squash and the spinach. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the squash is warmed through and the spinach is wilted. If the risotto seems a bit dry, add a little more stock. Season to taste—the risotto might taste salty enough from the cheese, but add a few twists from your pepper grinder. Top with more grated cheese and serve immediately.

Yields 4 main course or 6 side dish servings.