Looking for the perfect special occasion dinner? This balsamic dijon beef tenderloin roast is both simple and impressive. Served with a Meyer lemon gremolata, it’s great as a holiday dish too!
This beef tenderloin roast took 5 different stores and a heck of a lot of frustration to procure.
Apparently, you can buy beef tenderloin in cute little 1 pound or less steaks (which is basically filet mignon) or, you can buy about 9 pounds of it in roast form (9 pounds x an average of $15.99/lb, you can quickly do that math and figure out why I didn’t give up and just buy the huge roast) but, you cannot easily find a 2-3 pound roast for say, a normal 4 serving dinner.
I might’ve let out an audible “finally!” in the meat department when I found this.
Luckily, it was 8:45pm and the place was about to close so not too many people got to witness the crazy.
So, Valentine’s Day…
I can’t even remember the last time we actually did something for it since someone always seems to be working or traveling somewhere.
This year will be no different as Ulysses is working and I’ll likely be spending it visiting my brand new niece but it made eating this beautiful balsamic dijon beef tenderloin roast a week early seem ok.
If you’re someone who likes steak medium or more well done, this isn’t the recipe for you.
Don’t bother wasting your money (because this meal isn’t necessarily cheap, although cheaper than ordering it at a restaurant for sure) on this cut of meat and go cook a flank steak or something to death instead.
I feel the same about pan seared duck breast and venison backstrap, cook it medium rare or just don’t cook it at all!
If you’re someone, however, who gets giddy at the sight of that perfectly still almost bleeding red color and opening that 20 year aged balsamic vinegar that’s been hiding in the cabinet since your trip to Italy 2 years ago…
THIS is what you need to make for Valentine’s Day.
It’s beyond simple (a beef tenderloin roast that cooks for less than 30 minutes, say whaaaa??) and there’s literally nothing in the world that goes better with this meal than a glass of dark, chewy red wine.
Rare steak + red wine…both aphrodisiacs.
Just sayin’.
While this recipe cooks entirely in the oven, you could always switch up the method and try a reverse sear with this recipe. It would also work great and ensures an evenly cooked roast every time.
The crust is mustardy and sweet from the balsamic (seriously, buy some good stuff for this recipe) and salty while the Meyer lemon gremolata makes every bite pop with freshness.
It’s basically like my dream bite of flavors all on one forkful.
Looking for other Valentine’s Day dinner ideas?
Pistachio Crusted Lamb Chops with Red Wine Cherries
Citrus Braised Lamb Shanks with Green Harissa
Pesto Flank Steak Pinwheels
Balsamic Dijon Beef Tenderloin
Ingredients
For the Beef Tenderloin
- 2.5 pound beef tenderloin roast
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons grainy dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
For the Lemon Gremolata
- 3/4 cup finely chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
- zest of 2 Meyer lemons
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
Instructions
For the Beef Tenderloin
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees and line a baking sheet with tin foil.
- Tie roast in 3-4 places with kitchen string/twine.
- Place roast on baking sheet and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Mix mustard and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl and spread all over the top of the roast.
- Place roast in the oven for 25 minutes for a rare to medium rare steak.
- Remove from oven, cover with tin foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
- Serve with gremolata.
Gremolata
- Combine the parsley, basil, lemon zest and garlic in a small bowl and mix together.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
That looks delicious!
This beef is just cooked SO perfectly. I love it!
The things I would DO for this steak. Seriously.
Your photos are stunning and now I must go prepare lunch. Great recipe. Thanks!
The worst part of being pregnant is not being able to eat rare meat. Some people crave sushi, some wine. I just want a hunk of red meat! This looks perfect.
The lack of wine and rare red meat would make me infinitely sad. Guess you know what your first meal will be post hospital :)
That’s some gorgeous beef.
Wowza! I seriously just drooled on my computer. It’s gorgeous. I would take this any day (and everyday!) over going out to eat on Valentine’s Day. And Meyer lemons in the gremolata. YES please!
You seriously make the most beautiful meat!
Can I say that the meat looks irresistibly good?? I’m not a big meat-eater (call me flexitarian) but when I see such perfection I can’t stop myself! I hope I can make this heavenly good-looking meat myself and not ruin it for me as I often do…Otherwise I’ll keep on admiring your pictures (which is almost as good as I expect it to taste).
I cannot stop staring at these photos. Goodness, the rare center is so beautiful!! I wish I were at your house when you made this…I’d be devouring it with you!