Shelly's Recipe

SPICED BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH BOURSIN-FILLED PORTOBELLOS

Category: Roasts/Tenderloin - Beef

1 (4-pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed, at room temperature (see note)
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground red chile
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
Kosher or sea salt

Boursin-Filled Portobellos (recipe below)

Balsamic glaze (recipe follows)

8 tablespoons packaged crispy fried onions

Preheat the oven to 400.

Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels.

Crumble the oregano leaves with your fingers into a small bowl. Add the cumin, garlic powder, chile and cracked pepper. Mix well.

Rub the tenderloin all over with the spice mixture. Season liberally with salt. Place the meat on a baking sheet or roasting pan and bake until the internal temperature reaches 125 F (for rare to medium-rare) when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the middle, about 30 to 35 minutes. The temperature will continue to rise once outside of the oven, and the meat may be cooked further when cut and baked again, just before serving.

Cool the tenderloin to room temperature. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or heavy-duty aluminum foil and refrigerate up to 1 day ahead of serving.

Before dinner: Remove the Boursin-Filled Portobellos and the tenderloin from the refrigerator about an hour before serving. Cut the chilled tenderloin into 8 slices, each 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick. (You may need to lop off the ends off to make even, flat fillets; save them for another use.) Cover the fillets loosely with wax paper and let come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350. Top each Boursin-Filled Portobello with a tenderloin slice and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for about 7 to 10 minutes, or until heated through. Test for doneness by inserting a metal skewer in the center of a fillet. After removing the skewer, it should feel hot when touched with your fingers; if it is not, leave the stacks in for a few minutes longer.

Transfer the mushroom-fillet stacks to a warm platter and drizzle a tablespoon or so of balsamic glaze over each one. Sprinkle with fried onion crumbles and serve immediately. If desired, pass additional balsamic glaze. Makes 8 servings.

Balsamic glaze: Place 2 cups of balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Simmer until the mixture is reduced to a sweet, thick syrup. May be prepared a day ahead of time and stored, covered, at room temperature.

Note: If the tip of the tenderloin is very thin, ask the butcher to tuck it under and tie it so that the whole piece is more or less even.


BOURSIN-FILLED PORTOBELLOS
1 (10-ounce) log of boursin cheese (any flavor)
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons grape seed or olive oil, plus additional for oiling the caps
8 very large portobello mushroom caps, stems removed and gills scraped out
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400. Divide the boursin into 8 equal pieces and let sit at room temperature.

Whisk the balsamic vinegar with the oil. Drizzle the inside of the mushrooms with the balsamic mixture; use your fingers to distribute it evenly over the surface. Lightly oil the outsides of the caps. Place the caps, stem sides up, in an ungreased shallow baking pan. Sprinkle the insides of the caps with salt and pepper to taste. Bake, uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened; if some mushrooms are done before others, remove them with a spatula so that they don't overcook. Let cool. Drain off any liquid that accumulates in the caps.

Spread each portion of boursin out with your fingers into a pancake shape and place one inside each mushroom cap. (May be prepared to this point one day in advance, wrapped tightly in foil or plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator.)

Before dinner: Assemble as directed in the tenderloin recipe. Makes 8 servings.

Easier variation: Serve the portobello mushrooms as a side dish to the tenderloin, without the boursin cheese. Quarter the mushroom caps before tossing with the balsamic vinaigrette in the above recipe, and roast for 10 minutes in the oven.