Prepare to elevate your dinner game with a restaurant-quality dish that will make your taste buds sing and your dinner guests swoon! This French-inspired Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Sauce is not just a meal—it's a culinary masterpiece that transforms an ordinary evening into an extraordinary dining experience. Imagine perfectly seared, juicy tenderloin steaks draped in a luxuriously creamy blue cheese sauce that melts in your mouth, promising a symphony of flavors that will transport you straight to a high-end steakhouse.
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Cuisine: French
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 beef tenderloin steaks
- 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove beef tenderloin steaks from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to allow them to reach room temperature, which ensures even cooking.
- Pat steaks dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture, which helps achieve a perfect sear.
- Season both sides of the steaks generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, pressing the seasoning gently into the meat.
- Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat until it's very hot and begins to smoke slightly.
- Add butter to the hot pan and allow it to melt and foam, creating a perfect searing surface.
- Place steaks in the pan, cooking for approximately 3-4 minutes on each side for medium-rare, depending on thickness. Avoid moving steaks too much to develop a perfect golden-brown crust.
- While steaks are cooking, prepare blue cheese sauce by combining crumbled blue cheese and heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Whisk blue cheese sauce gently until cheese melts and sauce becomes smooth and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Keep warm but do not boil.
- Once steaks reach desired doneness, remove from pan and let rest on a cutting board for 5-7 minutes to allow juices to redistribute.
- Drizzle warm blue cheese sauce over steaks just before serving, ensuring each steak is generously covered.
- Optionally, garnish with fresh chopped parsley or additional crumbled blue cheese for enhanced presentation.
Tips
- Temperature is Key: Always let your steaks come to room temperature before cooking to ensure even heat distribution and a perfectly cooked piece of meat.
- Dry Means Crispy: Patting steaks dry is crucial for achieving that gorgeous golden-brown crust that seals in all the delicious juices.
- Cast-Iron is Your Friend: A heavy cast-iron skillet provides the most consistent and intense heat for creating a restaurant-quality sear.
- Don't Overcrowd the Pan: Cook steaks in batches if necessary to maintain high heat and prevent steaming instead of searing.
- Resting is Essential: Allowing your steaks to rest after cooking lets the juices redistribute, ensuring each bite is incredibly tender and flavorful.
- Sauce Consistency Matters: Gently heat the blue cheese sauce and avoid boiling to maintain a smooth, creamy texture.
- Precision Cooking: Use a meat thermometer for foolproof doneness - 130-135°F for medium-rare, 140-145°F for medium.Pro tip: For an extra touch of elegance, garnish with fresh herbs or additional crumbled blue cheese to elevate the presentation and add a burst of flavor!
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 490kcal
Carbohydrates: 2g
Protein: 31g
Fat: 41g
Saturated Fat: 22g
Cholesterol: 155mg
