Nothing seems quite as elegant—and yet is so deceptively easy to cook—as a beef tenderloin. My friend Jeanie Payne gifted me with a copy of American Pi, a fund-raiser cookbook published by Atlanta’s Paideia School, from which all three of her children graduated. Jeanie helped test many of the recipes in the cookbook, and after she served a version of this tenderloin at one dinner party, all her guests voted it Most Likely to Succeed. Tom has adapted the recipe to fit his tastes and methods. Being an engineer, he is a firm believer in always using a meat thermometer, and it pains me to admit it, but he’s right (this time).
1 (5- to 6-lb.) beef tenderloin, trimmed
3 cups dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup canola oil
Juice of 2 lemons
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. peppercorns
3 to 4 dozen crusty dinner rolls for serving
1 recipe Fig-Onion Jam (recipe follows) for serving
1. Place the tenderloin in a large glass baking dish or plastic container.
2. Combine the wine, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt, and peppercorns in a large liquid measuring cup. Pour over the tenderloin and turn to coat all sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, turning occasionally.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the tenderloin to a baking pan and discard the marinade.
4. Bake the beef about 40 to 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 135°F. Tent loosely with foil and let rest for 20 minutes. (The temperature will rise to 145°F, for medium-rare.)
5. Slice the beef and serve on dinner rolls with the Fig-Onion Jam.