FILET OF BEEF WITH THREE-PEPPERCORN SAUCE

Ingredients1 center-cut beef tenderloin, 1 ½ to 2 pounds, trimmed and tied at 1-inch intervals with kitchen string
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Three-peppercorn Sauce (recipe follows)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.

3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over high heat. Put the tenderloin in the pan and brown on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes total. Set aside the sauté pan; do not wash.

4. Set a rack in a roasting pan and transfer the tenderloin to the rack. Roast in the oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the tenderloin reads 140°F for medium rare, 15 to 20 minutes, longer for more well done. Transfer the tenderloin to a cutting board and let rest for 7 minutes.

5. While the tenderloin is resting, return the sauté pan in which it was seared to the stovetop and heat over medium-high heat. Ladle in ½ cup of the sauce and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any flavorful bits. Bring to a boil and let boil 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into the rest of the sauce.

6. To serve, snip off and discard the kitchen string and slice the tenderloin into ½ -inch slices. Place 2 or 3 slices on each of four dinner plates. Spoon some sauce over each serving and pass any remaining sauce alongside.

Three-Peppercorn Sauce(Makes about 1 ¼ cups)

Ingredients½ tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup diced carrot
1/3 cup diced Spanish onion
2 tablespoons thinly sliced leek, white part only
2 tablespoons chopped shallot
½ tablespoon chopped garlic
1 ½ teaspoons crushed mixed peppercorns (black, green, and pink)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
½ bay leaf
2 tablespoons Cognac
2 tablespoons red wine
1 ½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium beef or veal stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, onion, leek, shallot, garlic, and peppercorns, and sauté until the vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the thyme and bay leaf and cook for 30 seconds.

2. Add the Cognac and red wine. Bring to a boil and continue to boil until almost completely reduced, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the vinegar and stock, raise the heat to high, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until reduced by one third, about 30 minutes.

4. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and discard the solids. Season to taste with salt and pepper and keep covered and warm.