This showstopping horseradish-crusted beef tenderloin with a bold mustard and herb crust, roasted until rosy pink and served with a creamy mustard sauce, is the crowning glory of Bilbo and Frodo's birthday feast! For another impressive roast centrepiece from a literary feast try our Herb Roasted Prime Rib, or try another recipe from our Feast at Bag End collection like these these Smoky Rosemary Maple Roasted Nuts.
At a Glance: Horseradish-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Marinating Time: 45 minutes
- Roasting Time: 35 to 45 minutes
- Resting Time: 10 to 15 minutes
- Total Time: ~2 hours
- Servings: 6
- Flavour: Savoury and piquant, garlicky and herbaceous
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Why this Works: Spicy horseradish and Dijon mustard are blended with fresh rosemary and garlic to create a savoury and piquant crust on this juicy beef tenderloin roast.
If you love recipes from the Shire, try our Feast at the Green Dragon e-cookbook for classic tavern fare: bubbling starters, savoury mains and pies, hedgerow puddings, and dark ale and berry drinks.
A Feast at Bag End: A Hobbit Birthday
As summer begins to fade into fall and the fields and gardens of the Shire are brimming with a bountiful harvest, the hobbits look forward to a very special celebration. With the War of the Ring now behind them and peace restored to Middle-Earth, the joint birthday of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins feels more joyful than ever! Both uncle and nephew are now keen to celebrate with the friends and family who saw them through darker days.
In honour of the hobbits' shared birthday on September 22nd, we can imagine Bilbo and Frodo preparing for a gathering of friends from across Middle-Earth. As each member of the Fellowship and other old friends travel to the Shire they bring with them a taste of their local cuisine. Join us in celebrating this momentous hobbit day with Bilbo, Frodo, and the rest of the Fellowship!
Aragorn's Horseradish-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
The long journey that Aragorn must make from the White City of Minas Tirith to the peaceful Shire shows his deep affection for the hobbits and how strong the bonds of fellowship truly are. Aragorn's kingly offering for this feast is a decadent roast beef tenderloin. Though the heir of Isildur has retaken the throne of Gondor, hints of his past as a ranger in the North can be seen in the bold and earthy horseradish, mustard and herb crust. Roasted until rosy pink inside and served with a creamy mustard chive sauce, this horseradish-crusted beef tenderloin is the crowning glory of Bilbo and Frodo's birthday feast!
For more fantasy inspired roast recipes check out our herb roasted prime rib with bone marrow gravy or our roasted pork belly with apples.
Ingredients for Horseradish-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
Beef tenderloin: This impressive cut of beef is taken from the back of the animal along the spine. Due to its position, this muscle isn’t worked as much as others and so remains extremely tender. As a result, the tenderloin is easily the most expensive cut of beef. Also known as the fillet, the tenderloin has a long cylinder shape with a tapered end. It is very lean with hardly any marbling making it an ideal candidate for cooking rare to medium. Without the extra fat from marbling, cooking tenderloin well done will result in a tough product.
Horseradish: I like to use prepared, grated horseradish, although you could use freshly grated horseradish instead. The flavour of the horseradish really does stand out in this recipe so if you aren't a fan then you could leave it out. The recipe will still work just fine, it just won't have that pungent horseradish flavour. For another savoury meat paired with horseradish, try our Balsamic Bourbon Short Ribs.
Mustard: This recipe uses both Dijon and grainy mustard. A generous amount of Dijon mustard is used to bind the marinade together before roasting the beef while both types of mustard are used in the sauce.
Rosemary: The flavour of fresh rosemary really stands out in this recipe, although you could use dried rosemary leaves instead.
Tips for cooking beef tenderloin
If you're going to the expense of buying a beef tenderloin, then you want to make sure it turns out perfectly. Here are a few tips for buying and roasting beef tenderloin.
- Buying the cut - When buying a beef tenderloin roast, ask for a centre cut. A full tenderloin has a wide end followed by a long, even cylinder with a tapered end. The centre of the tenderloin has an even cylindric shape which both looks nice and yields even shaped slices after roasting. If you end up getting the tapered end, then you can create a more even piece by tucking the tapered end under and tying into place with twine.
- Trimming the meat - If possible, ask the butcher to trim and tie your beef. This will save you time later. If the meat is untrimmed, then use a sharp boning knife to trim off any visible fat and silverskin from the surface. Silverskin is a tough, shiny membrane that won't tenderize after cooking so it should be removed.
- Tying the meat - Tying the meat with butchers twine at 2-inch intervals helps to keep a neat, cylindric shape and prevent the meat from sagging as it roasts. Keeping the shape uniform will help the meat to cook evenly. The strings should be snug without cutting into the meat.
- Room temperature - Letting the tenderloin sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes before roasting will take the refrigerator chill off the meat and allow it to cook more evenly. This is a great time to marinate the beef. You don't really want to marinate the meat for less than 45 minutes, although you could marinate it up to a couple of hours before. In that case, leave the beef in the fridge until 45 minutes before roasting.
- High heat - There are a few different methods for roasting beef tenderloin. This recipe uses a high heat for the duration of the roasting period. This makes it all the more important to have the meat warm up slightly before roasting so that the edges don't overcook before the cool centre of the meat heats up.
- Internal temperature - When judging how long to roast the beef, you will want to use an instant read thermometer. Due to the lack of marbling and overall leanness of the cut, you want to cook the beef to either medium rare or medium doneness. During the resting period, the meat will continue to carryover cook about 5°F to 10°F. For medium rare, pull the roast when it reaches an internal temperature between 125°F and 130°F. For medium, pull the roast when it reaches 135°F.
- Resting the meat - With beef tenderloin in particular it's important to factor in enough time to rest the meat. Due to the leanness of the cut, allowing the meat to rest fully ensures you won't loose too much of the juices by cutting into it prematurely. When the tenderloin reaches your desired doneness, transfer the meat to a separate platter and tent loosely with foil. Rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
How to make Horseradish-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
1. Prep the beef
Begin by tying the tenderloin at two-inch intervals to maintain a uniform shape. If there is a tapered end, then tuck it under and tie into place. Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towel.
In a small bowl combine the Dijon mustard, horseradish, chopped fresh rosemary, minced garlic, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir together until fully combined.
2. Marinate the meat
Place a rack in a large roasting pan and drizzle the bottom with a little olive oil. Generously rub the marinade on all sides of the beef. Place the beef on the rack in the roasting pan. Let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes, covered if you prefer.
3. Roast the beef
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roast the beef for 35 to 45 minutes until it reaches your desired doneness. For medium rare, pull the roast when it reaches an internal temperature between 125°F and 130°F. For medium, pull the roast when it reaches 135°F. The temperature will continue to rise as the meat rests.
Remove the roast from the oven and transfer to a platter. Tent loosely with foil and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Make the sauce
In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon and grainy mustards, horseradish, parsley, chives, kosher salt and pepper. Whisk together until smooth. Chill until ready to serve.
5. Serve the Horseradish-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
To serve, use kitchen shears to snip and remove the twine. Carve the tenderloin into thick slices and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with the creamy mustard sauce and enjoy!
Horseradish-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef tenderloin roast centre cut
- 3 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus extra
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Creamy Mustard Sauce
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoon grainy mustard
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Begin by tying the tenderloin at two-inch intervals to maintain a uniform shape. If there is a tapered end, then tuck it under and tie into place. Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towel.
- In a small bowl combine the Dijon mustard, horseradish, chopped fresh rosemary, minced garlic, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir together until fully combined.
- Place a rack in a large roasting pan and drizzle the bottom with a little olive oil. Generously rub the marinade on all sides of the beef. Place the beef on the rack in the roasting pan. Let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes, covered if you prefer.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roast the beef for 35 to 45 minutes until it reaches your desired doneness. For medium rare, pull the roast when it reaches an internal temperature between 125°F and 130°F. For medium, pull the roast when it reaches 135°F. The temperature will continue to rise another 5°F to 10°F as the meat rests.
- Remove the roast from the oven and transfer to a platter. Tent loosely with foil and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon and grainy mustards, horseradish, parsley, chives, kosher salt and pepper. Whisk together until smooth. Chill until ready to serve.
- To serve, use kitchen shears to snip and remove the twine. Carve the tenderloin into thick slices and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with the creamy mustard sauce and enjoy!
