Marguerite Marceau Henderson www.margueritehenderson.com/

We are proud to welcome renowned food writer Marguerite Marceau Henderson to the Wasatch Journal blog. See her story about high-end beef in the current issue of the Wasatch Journal.

Henderson is a cooking teacher, caterer, restauranteur, food writer, public speaker, and food consultant in Salt Lake City. She travels extensively to keep abreast of food trends across the country and in Europe. Henderson enjoys teaching cooking classes and lecturing on the impact food has upon our daily lives and in our family traditions

Marguerite’s Blog: Jan. 14, 2009

Beef tenderloin. Admit it, you love to order it when you are out on an expense account.

Even better, when you see it at the market and want to serve a spectacular dinner for friends to impress, delight, and astound guests with your culinary expertise.
But, when you are paying upwards of $12-$18 per pound for a fine piece of fillet, you had better know how to prepare this cut that is worthy of its king’s ransom.

Here it is. The easiest of dishes to make. Trust me.
Seasoning, searing, slowly roasting. That’s all there is to perfecting an entire tenderloin.

Tips:
1. Have the butcher trim the tenderloin for you, and tie it so it will remain intact when searing.
2. Bring the beef to room temperature before searing. It will be easier to brown and cook more evenly.
3. DO NOT overcook. That’s the key here. One might think that a 3-pounder requires hours to cook. Wrong. Once seared, 45 minutes of roasting it … really.
4. Allow the roast to “rest” at least 10 minutes (and up to 20) before slicing.
5. Horseradish, shallots, beef tenderloin. The holy trinity of a great beef dinner.

BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH ROSEMARY HORSERADISH CREAM SAUCE

3 pounds beef tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat and “silver”, tied with butcher string
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme

4 large shallots, peeled and sliced

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Place beef on work surface. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, oil, and thyme. Rub the entire surface with the mixture. Heat an ovenproof 10-inch skillet over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the beef tenderloin. Brown the beef on all sides for 2-3 minutes per side (for a total of about 10 minutes). Add the shallots to the skillet with beef and place the skillet in preheated oven on middle shelf. Roast the beef for 15-17 minutes per pound for medium rare, 18-20 minutes per pound for medium. Remove the beef from the oven; cover with foil and allow to “rest” for 10-20 minutes before slicing. Cut into thin slices and serve with Horseradish Cream Sauce.

ROSEMARY HORSERADISH CREAM SAUCE

8 ounces. sour cream
2 tablespoons cream or milk
2 heaping tablespoons prepared horseradish
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (about 2 T.) finely chopped

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes about 1½ cups sauce.

Tortellini in Brodo

With the cold and blustery days upon us, what better way to warm up our hearts, souls, and stomachs than with a classic Italian Wedding Soup or Tortellini in Brodo.

It has all the makings of everything comforting, from tortellini to miniature meatballs.
Perfect for a January evening dinner, a Sunday supper or lunch on a snow day.
Kids love to help make the petite meatballs. Make it a family tradition. Create a winter food memory.

TORTELLINI IN BRODO (IN BROTH) WITH MINIATURE MEATBALLS

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 recipe miniature meatballs (see below)
1 pound tortellini with cheese
4 cups fresh spinach leaves (6 oz. bag)
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Garnish:
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tomatoes, finely chopped

In a large stockpot, heat the oil and butter. Saute the onion, carrots, and celery for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir, cook another minute. Add broth, bring to a boil, and then add the raw meatballs. Cover; reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the tortellini, spinach leaves and basil. Cook for 5 minutes (tortellini should be floating to the surface at this point.) Serve in large soup bowls with grated cheese and chopped tomatoes on top. Serves 4-6.

Miniature Meatballs
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large egg
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ cup chopped Italian parsley

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Form 1-inch meatballs and place on a platter until ready to add to soup. Makes about 20 miniature meatballs.

Read more about Henderson and find out about her cooking classes and get more recipes at www.margueritehenderson.com/

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