Tenderloin is one of the finest cuts of beef available. Individual slices are what is sold as filet mignon. This sauce can be used on a whole, roasted tenderloin or individual cuts of beef such as New York strip or a ribeye. The sauce will work nearly as well without pan drippings, but the drippings give the sauce a richer depth.
In addition to the addition of the pan drippings, this cream sauce is flavored with Madeira wine, a Portuguese fortified wine, which ranges from dry to very sweet and is known for its longevity. It generally has taste notes of roasted nuts, fruit and toffee. If you abstain from alcohol, you have no worries with this sauce as the alcohol cooks off, leaving only the taste notes behind. For this recipe, I used Taylor Madeira, described as a full bodied, medium-sweet wine with nutty undertones and a luxurious finish from New York state’s wine region.
The recipe also uses brandy, which adds a rich, complex and slightly sweet undertones to the sauce, complementing the Madeira, heavy cream and fresh green peppercorns.
Fresh green peppercorns can be one of the difficult ingredients to source. I used to buy the Roland Green Peppercorns in a 3.55 ounce container at the market nearest my home. This year, I went to replenish my supply and was told they could no longer find a supplier to stock the green peppercorns. Peppercorns are canned in vinegar and brine for fresh preservation. This product appears to have been discontinued, as I can no longer find this perfectly sized package from my local grocery store. This year, I was only able to find a 25 ounce sized product made in Spain by Terra de Espana at another Grosse Pointe grocer, which is about 16 times more than I need for a typical season. Since I have so many peppercorns to use this year, while the peppercorns retain their fresh quality, I am actively looking to find additional recipes in which I can use them. I used to make a Steak au Poire in the 90s with a similar medium sweet wine cream sauce over a medium rare New York Strip steak. I made it for my dad’s birthday, after scouring every grocery store on Marco Island to find the ingredient integral to the success of the recipe.
Green peppercorns are the unripe drupes of the Piper nigrum vine, which are less zesty than the mature black dried version to which most people are accustomed. Fresh green peppercorns burst when they are bitten releasing a fresh, zesty and bright flavor.
To avoid an extensive search for the elusive fresh green peppercorns in grocery stores, they may be purchased online here.
If you need a roasting pan, that will help you collect the pan drippings, a link to an appropriate pan is below.
Equipment:
Filet of Beef with Green Peppercorn Sauce
This fantastic brandy and wine cream sauce provides a richness to a holiday meal and partners perfectly with beef. A recipe this good should not be reserved for holidays!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Allow beef to sit at room temperature for 60 minutes. Use towels to dry tenderloin. Salt and pepper beef.
- Place tenderloin in a roasting pan and roast for 40 – 55 minutes. Transfer to a carving board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Add ½ cup of water to roasting pan for drippings.
- In a heavy pan, heat 4 tablespoons of butter and gradually add flour, stirring constantly until roux is light brown. Keep heat low to prevent sauce from burning. Remove from heat and gradually stir in ¾ cup of beef stock. Over low heat, add remaining beef stock and Madeira wine. Simmer for 15 minutes. Keep warm.
- Add pan drippings, brandy and cream to sauce and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring for two minutes. Reduce heat, add peppercorns, lemon juice, tabasco and remaining butter. Keep on heat stirring constantly.
- Serve with sliced tenderloin in a sauce boat.