Candy Dish Blog

Recently I was helping my co-worker Alison (whose mom shared that awesome chocolate cake recipe with us last week) pick some items to serve at a chocolate-themed dinner party.  I shared with her the recipe for chili and cocoa marinated flank steak with chocolate merlot sauce that we featured on the blog several months ago, as well as the recipe below which we served at a media event in New York a few years ago.

This recipe has a lot of strengths and some of my favorite ingredients – rosemary, beer and a double dose of chocolate.  It’s also fairly easy to make and doesn’t take much time.  Serve it with sides of orzo and green beans almondine and you can have the whole meal on the table in less than 40 minutes.

File this one away for your holiday entertaining.

Cocoa-Dusted Beef Tenderloin in a Guinness and Dark Chocolate-Rosemary Sauce
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied, trimmings reserved
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon cocoa butter or vegetable oil
• 3 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 12-ounce bottle Guinness or dark beer
• 1 large sprig rosemary
• 4 cups brown veal or beef stock
• ¼ cup chopped dark chocolate (70%)
• 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

•  
  1. Heat oven to 400.
  2. Place a large, heave sauté pan over high heat.
  3. Season the beef filet with salt and pepper, then rub the cocoa powder over the beef.
  4. Add the cocoa butter or oil to the heated pan, and place the beef in the hot oil.
  5. Brown the beef well all over, then remove it to a rack set over a sheet pan and place in oven. Roast the beef for 15 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 120. Remove from oven, cover loosely and allow the beef to rest.
  6. While the beef roasts, add the beef trimmings, shallots, celery and carrots to the pan and sauté until golden.
  7. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then add the beer and rosemary to the pan. Bring the beer to a boil, then allow it to reduce by half its volume.
  8. Add the stock and continue to reduce the sauce until it is thickened.
  9. Strain the sauce, return it to the pan, and stir in the chocolate and butter. Taste for salt and adjust is needed.
  10. Untie the beef, slice it into 12 pieces and serve with sauce. 

Cocoa Dusted Beef Tenderloin photo courtesy of Robin,  The Girl Who Ate Everything