Beef Tenderloin in Cherry Sauce

Beef Tenderloin in Cherry Sauce

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Total time:45 minutes

It’s well worth the time to make this beef tenderloin sauce using kirsch cherry brandy and grenadine syrup.

Ingredients

• 1 can (16 ounces) pitted dark sweet cherries with juice
• 1/4 cup ruby port
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 teaspoon (drained) bottled horseradish
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon mild olive oil
• 4 beef tenderloin steaks (6 ounces each)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup kirsch (cherry brandy)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon grenadine syrup

Directions:

1. Drain cherry juice into large saucepan and set cherries aside.
3. Add port, beef broth, horseradish, tomato paste, shallot, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Bring to boil over medium heat and cook until mixture is reduced to about 2/3 cup, 12 to 15 minutes.
5. Dissolve arrowroot in 1 teaspoon water and stir into sauce. Simmer until sauce is shiny and slightly thickened, 1 minute longer. Strain, cover, and set aside. (This can be prepared a few hours ahead. If you refrigerate the sauce, bring it to room temperature before proceeding.)
7. Heat olive oil in large, heavy skillet over high heat. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper and add them to hot oil. Brown steaks on both sides and cook until medium-rare (about 6 minutes total) or to your liking. Transfer steaks to large platter.
9. Add cherries and kirsch to skillet and flambé. When flames die out, reduce heat to low and add cherry sauce.
11. With wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Stir in butter and grenadine syrup. The sauce should be bright red.
13. Return beef to pan and turn to coat with sauce. Cook until beef is heated through, about 2 minutes longer.
15. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper, if necessary.
17. Transfer beef tenderloin steaks to warmed dinner plates. Spoon cherry sauce over them and serve at once.