What do you do when you have a taste for pesto but aren't sure what to serve it with? Just look at Wednesday's Food Section from the NYT and something is bound to inspire you!
This week's front page of the section was perfect: Beef Tenderloin Stuffed with Herb Pesto. I skimmed the recipe and then headed to Whole Foods. I probably should have thought twice about that trip because beef tenderloin is expensive...very expensive! The tenderloin is the most tender piece of meat you will ever eat, but its an investment. It is also easy to very easy to overcook, so even if you are someone who loves their meat well done, do yourself a favor and follow the cooking guidelines below. A well done tenderloin will bring you to tears; especially after you paid all of that money!
Here are the ingredients:
- Three pound beef tenderloin, butterflied (you can do this yourself, but I asked the butcher to do it for me)
- 2 packages basil (I used Gotham Greens basil - so good!)
- 1-2 bunches flat leaf parsley
- 6-8 cloves garlic
- 8 green olives, pitted
- 2 tablespoons parmesan
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Crushed red pepper
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Olive oil
Use a food processor to blend the basil, parsley, garlic, green olives, parmesan, lemon juice and about 2 tablespoons of olive oil together. When the mixture starts to come together, give it a taste and add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to your liking. Turn the food processor back on and add the olive oil slowly, until the mixture turns into a paste. This recipe will yield more than you actually need, but the good news is, you have extra pesto!
Pound the beef tenderloin until the roast is an equal thickness. Don't worry about getting it too thin; just try and achieve an even thickness across the entire roast. Spread the pesto over the inside of the tenderloin. Roll the tenderloin like a jelly roll (long ways) and tie it with butcher's twice every two inches. I also rubbed the entire outside of the roast with pesto as well. I'd love to say that this was an original thought, but a lot of my pesto oozed out of my tenderloin because I had made it too thin. I didn't want the pesto to go to waste, so I rubbed every inch of the meat with the excess pesto.
To cook the tenderloin, you will need to setup your grill for both direct and indirect cooking. I used the Green Egg (of course) at 400 degrees direct for about 2 minutes a side to get a nice sear. Then, I added the convEGGtor to get the indirect heat that I needed. I cooked the tenderloin about 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reached 130 degrees. I checked the tenderloin every 10 minutes to make sure I didn't overcook it. I turned the tenderloin each time I checked it.
When the tenderloin reached the 130 degree mark, I took it off the Green Egg, covered it with foil, and let it sit for about 10 minutes. After removing the butcher's twice, I cut the tenderloin into 2 inch pieces and served it with extra pesto on the side and potatoes roasted with herbs and shallots.
I served this with a great bottle of 2015 Martin Ray Tina Marie Pinot Noir. I'd love to believe I inspired the name, but I think we all know better, right?