Beef is a great dinner party standby, because it is easy to make it look sensational without a great deal more work. Along that line you will see that the simple and sensational versions of this recipe are almost identical, with the only real difference being the cut of beef and the way it is presented. I have called the sauce a Marsla Sauce, but it's really a a flavoured stock that is reduced. Whenever I hear Marsala Sauce I think of the slightly sweet sauce that accompanies Veal Marsala.The addition of red wine vinegar in this sauce cuts the sweetness of the Marsala resulting in a lovely, not at all sweet sauce.
Method Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.Combine the garlic, rosemary and mustard in a small bowl.Put the tenderloin in a roasting dish with a little oil spray or a little oil if you are not watching every calorie and coat the beef with the mustard mixture.Cooking time will depend on how you like your beef cooked.My rough rule of thumb for a medium to medium rare tenderloin is about 20 minutes per pound, but the best this to do is to get a meat thermometer, saves you using the “slice and see” method of meat cookery.Test the meat and take it out of the over at a little less than the temperature you need.For example if you like your beef medium you want an internal temperature of between 140 and 150 degrees.If you take the beef out of the oven just slightly before that it will continue to cook while it rests and you will have the perfect medium.Always rest you beef for five to ten minutes before you serve it, otherwise you will lose all the juices.After the beef has rested, pour any of the juices that have accumulated in the resting plate into the sauce.Slice the beef and serve on a large platter with the sauce and vegetables close by and let everyone help themselves.
Marsala Sauce
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic ˝ cup very finely chopped shallots 1 teaspoon vegetable oil ˝ cup marsala 2 cups beef stock 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 4 star anise Method Sauté the garlic and shallots in a saucepan with the vegetable oil until just transparent, do not allow them to brown.If you want to keep the fat right down use a regular fry pan (not non stick) with a little oil spray.Add marsala, beef stock, vinegar, and star anise and reduce the heat.Simmer the sauce until it has reduced to about one cup, about half an hour.The sauce can be made in advance and reheated before serving, but I would recommend that you reduce to about one and a quarter cups so that when you reheat you actually finish the cooking.Add a little salt and pepper to taste.
