Wow your beef loving family and guests with tender, slow roasted beef tenderloin. It is easy and elegant to prepare for special dinners. If you can’t get fresh tarragon, try fresh rosemary sprigs. If your tenderloin is not trimmed clean and ready to roast, see links in the post for how to trim a whole tenderloin. For a horseradish cream sauce to serve with it, see the end of the post.
Allow the beef to stand at room temperature 1 hour before roasting to get the chill off for better results. Tie tenderloin with pieces of kitchen twine at 1″ intervals. Tie snugly so the meat retains its shape while roasting and roasts evenly. Drizzle the beef all over with olive oil, then sprinkle liberally with salt, black pepper and granulated garlic. Tuck tarragon sprigs under the ties over the top and sides of the beef.
Pre-heat the oven to 325°F. Place the tenderloin on a rimmed baking sheet covered with parchment. Roast the tenderloin until it reaches your preferred temperature, 130°F-135°F for medium rare and 140°F-145°F for medium. Test at 28-30 minutes. Timing will depend on your oven, whether it is convection or conventional, and the size of the tenderloin. Remove the tenderloin from the oven a few degrees short of your desired temperature range. Temperatures rise 5°F-10°F as meat rests. Do not slice the meat right away. Resting for about 15 minutes re-distributes the internal juices, insuring moist (not dry) beef. Cut off the ties, discard herbs, slice and serve.