Thanksgiving

Chateaubriand is the perfect special occasion meal for a small gathering. This beef tenderloin recipe for Thanksgiving is great for a guest list of just a few people. Learn how to make the perfect center cut tenderloin and never fear overcooking this cut of meat again.

To roast a whole tenderloin, check out this porcini crusted beef tenderloin that I make for Christmas every year.

Turkey is the unopposed king of Thanksgiving, but what if you aren’t hosting a large gathering or turkey isn’t your thing? Most of us are in it for the side dishes anyway, or is that just me? If eating leftover turkey for days doesn’t appeal to you, this is the recipe for you.

Thanksgiving beef tenderloin recipe

Serving beef tenderloin for thanksgiving may sound like blasphemy, but after staring at 8 pounds of leftover turkey last year, I’ve changed my tune.

This year, we’re changing it up a bit and that includes the how, as well as the what. Sous vide cooking yields the most perfect beef tenderloin roast I’ve ever made in my two decades of cooking professionally.

Sous vide beef tenderloin recipe

First, let’s talk about what “sous vide” is, ok? The term refers to something being under vacuum. The process of sous vide is low temperature cooking for an extended time.

A center cut beef tenderloin is the perfect candidate for sous vide because it’s not always easy to get it just right.

How to cook chateaubriand

This beef tenderloin recipe couldn’t be easier. It may seem a little intimidating, if this is new to you, but it honestly couldn’t be easier.

This is the inside of the beef tenderloin. As you can see, there is very little fat running through the meat. It is not well-marbled like a good steak.

The meat is incredibly tender, hence the name. It is a delicate, expensive cut of meat, but it lacks a ton of flavor. Why is that? Fat. It doesn’t have much, and that intramuscular fat combined with muscle is what amounts to the delicious, juicy bite that we associate with a good piece of beef.

This is why seasoning the meat is so important.

A chateaubriand is the center cut piece of tenderloin. With a whole tenderloin, there is a tapered (thinner) end, and a thicker end. By removing those two ends, we’re left with a perfectly uniform piece of meat that will cook evenly.

I don’t bother tying up the entire piece, but I will tie it in a handful of places to help it hold its shape. Then, season the meat well and seal it in an air-tight bag.

Set the temperature on your device to the doneness you prefer (mine is 133°F) and heat the water. I use an enormous stock pot that allows the beef to lay flat – you don’t want to twist the tenderloin up in order to fit it in the container.

Drop the vacuum-sealed bag into the water and carry on with your day.

Sous vide cooking is PERFECT for holidays like Thanksgiving because it removes the stress of cooking a perfect piece of meat, plus it is basically hands-off (until the reverse sear), and you can do it ahead of time.

Tools and equipment for sous vide tenderloin

• Sous vide cooker – The tool that heats and circulates the water. This is the newer version of the one I own.
• Vacuum sealer – This compact version can be stored standing up to save valuable counter space.
• Sous vide container – You’ll need something large enough for the tenderloin to lay flat.

Sous vide is also terrific for meal prep. Season a handful of chicken breasts for the week and cook them all at once. Store them in the fridge and do a quick sear when you’re ready to eat. So much faster and easier clean-up than starting from scratch every night.

Blackberry Gastrique

Now that we have the tenderloin sorted, we need a sauce. It is Thanksgiving, after all.

First, let’s answer one important question – “what is a gastrique?” A gastrique is a sauce made from caramelized sugar (honey / maple syrup) combined with vinegar or some type of acid, like lemon juice, then reduced to make it slightly thickened. 

It sounds much fancier than it really is, much like the beef tenderloin recipe. The hardest part is knowing when to pull it off of the heat. I compare it with a roux – the longer you let it cook, the deeper the color. Which means, the more intense the flavor will be. 

Blackberry sauce pairs beautifully with this beef tenderloin recipe. It would also go really well with lamb loin chops.

Beef tenderloin dinner menu

Our favorite side dish recipes for Thanksgiving dinner, because we can’t break all the traditions.

• Grandma’s stuffing recipe
• Easy 5 ingredient corn casserole
• Butternut squash arugula salad
• Roasted Honeynut squash
• Soft dinner rolls

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