caesar twist

This is another of Bruce Aidells’ recipes from the December 2011 issue of Bon Appétit that I used for our Christmas dinners last week.

One important tip when roasting a whole beef tenderloin is to tuck under the tail end. Because the tenderloin narrows at one end, the thin portion must be tucked under itself and secured with a little kitchen twine, so that it will cook at the same rate as the rest of the roast.

Roast Beef Tenderloin with Caesar Crust

4-pound whole beef tenderloin, fat and silverskin trimmed
Kosher salt
4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper plus more for seasoning
2/3 cup fine fresh breadcrumbs made from day-old white bread
2/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
2/3 cup mayonnaise
4 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained, finely chopped
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, peeled

Season tenderloin lightly with salt and pepper. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate overnight.

Uncover tenderloin; let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Set a rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.

Pulse the 4 teaspoons of black pepper, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, mayonnaise, anchovy fillets, mustard, lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic in a food processor until well blended.  Evenly spread and pack Caesar mixture on the top and sides of the tenderloin.

Transfer tenderloin to rack and roast until the crust is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of tenderloin registers 120-125 degrees for medium-rare, about 30-40 minutes.

Transfer to a carving board. Let rest for 20 minutes. Cut into 1/2″-thick slices, taking care not to lose too much of the delicate crust, and serve.

Serves 10 to 12