Pepper Crusted Beef Tenderloin With Chocolate Port Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 475 degrees.
• Let tenderloin rest at room temperature 1 hour. Pat meat with paper towels to dry, then lightly coat all over with oil. Sprinkle evenly with salt and ground peppercorns, gently pressing to help them adhere.
• Set a cast-iron griddle or large roasting pan over two burners and heat over high until hot. Carefully rub griddle lightly with oil. (If using a roasting pan, add enough oil to barely coat the bottom of the pan.) Heat until hot but not smoking, then place the tenderloin on the griddle and sear on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Use tongs to transfer beef to a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
• Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 125 degrees for medium-rare, 20 to 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes.
• Transfer tenderloin to a carving board and slice to desired thickness (about 1/2 inch is a nice size) before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine peppercorns, 1 tablespoon salt, the sugar, and red-pepper flakes. Rub all over tenderloin to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Add oil, and brown meat, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven, and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reaches 120 degrees, about 16 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with grainy-mustard aioli and squash.