Can you believe it is 2015?

You may not know this, but Taylor Takes A Taste turns 5 later this month! Sally and I are working on a ton of new content and features for the site’s 5th birthday!

In the mean time, I wanted to bring you one of my favorite recipes we did in 2014. As you may know, we work with the American Butter Institute and create recipes for their Go Bold With Butter site. In December, Sally and I created several recipes for a Southern Holiday menu. The holidays may have passed, but I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes from the menu: Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic Sauce.

My favorite part about this recipe was the combination of the roasted garlic with the pepper crusted tenderloin. When shooting, I find it challenging not to take a little taste of what is in front of the camera while styling it. This recipe was definitely a test on my restraint. The slice that you see in the image didn’t last long after the final shot was taken.

If you are looking for an item to hit the grill this weekend while you watch playoff football, may I suggest giving this a try?

For those of you who are Carolina Panther fans (like Sally and me), may I suggest a frosted cookie, chili, and potato skins for home gating during this weekend’s game? Go Panthers!

Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic Sauce

Serves 8

• 1 whole trimmed beef tenderloin (4 1/2 to 5 1/2 pounds)
• 3 heads garlic
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons mixed or black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/3 cup beef stock
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• pinch cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove beef from refrigerator and place on wire rack over baking sheet. The meat will come to room temperature while garlic roasts. Carefully remove top 1/4 of garlic bulbs with sharp knife. Part of each garlic clove should be exposed. Place 1 tablespoon butter on top of cut end of each bulb. Sprinkle butter covered bulbs with 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Wrap each bulb in foil. Place wrapped garlic bulbs on top of baking sheet. Bake garlic for 1 hour. Remove garlic from oven and let cool on pan.

Raise oven temperature to 450°F. Place peppercorns, salt, mustard, thyme and garlic powder in base of mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Mix until peppercorns are broken and coarse ground. Spread all sides of beef with 2 tablespoons soft butter. Coat buttered tenderloin with spice mix. Remove beef from wire rack and place on baking sheet. Insert meat thermometer into thickest part of tenderloin. Bake tenderloin until it has reached your desired degree of doneness (125°F for rare, 135°F for medium rare, 150°F for medium), about 40-60 minutes. Remove tenderloin from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes on baking sheet.

While meat rests, prepare garlic sauce. Gently squeeze each clove of garlic from its skin and place into small bowl. With spoon, stir roasted garlic cloves until smooth paste forms. Set bowl aside. In medium saucepan, add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and melt over medium heat. Add flour and stir into melted butter. Cook mixture, over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 2 1/2 minutes. Add beef stock to butter and flour and whisk to blend. Add heavy cream and continue to whisk mixture until sauce begins to thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add roasted garlic, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, mustard and cayenne pepper. Stir sauce until it is well blended. Remove sauce from heat.

Slice tenderloin and serve with warm garlic sauce.

©Recipe Sally James Mathis

©Photography Taylor Mathis