Sauce with tenderloin

My Family likes a Bearnaise sauce, but you can also do a Bordelaise sauce...........have fun.....

not that it matters all that much, but is this a buffet or plated dinner? i like to make a red wine reduction sauce(with shallots) for tenderloin.... a barolo or malbec or cab or zinfandel or syrah....if you are serving a nice red wine with this, you can use some of the same type of wine...

joey

I'm thinking some sort of mushroom flavored sauce would complement both the beef and the ravioli.

mjb.

Madiera or Pergoidine.

absolutely... in my opinion the wine redux sauce would be lovely with the ravioli, but then again, that's what makes a horse race! i usually just 'pool' a small amount on the plate and place the sliced tenderloin atop, or you could also 'nap' the sauce over the beef as well. i like to see the beautifulness of the beef, so i tend to go for pooling.

joey

You've limited the possibilities on saucing the steak to practically nothing by saucing the vegetable.  One sauce on the plate is the general rule.  One problem with two sauces on the same plate is that they will run together and mingle.  Another, specific to your situation is that brown butter/sage doesn't play well with others.  

Because tenderloin is a star, treat it like one and simplify the squash by serving it without sauce.  That doesn't mean you can't finish it in some kind of fat -- but just a glaze.

If you're pan roasting the tenderloin (needs a big pan!) I suggest a pan sauce... it's a sin to waste the fond.  A cognac-cream is always good, everyone likes cognac.  Madeira, sherry, or Marsala-creams are also good, but not as exciting. 

If grilling or roasting I suggest some sort of jus plus passing a horseradish cream, or serving it along side.  That's classic with beef.

I also like mushroom sauces with tenderloin.  You don't need to do much more than saute the mushrooms in butter with finely diced shallots, season, add a little Madeira, Sherry or Dry Marsala, cook the raw off the wine, sprinkle with parsley and chives, toss to soften the herbs, and voila!  Perhaps more mushroom than sauce, but there you go.

Speaking of which, mushrooms can do very well in pan sauces.  If you go that route, you want to roast the mushrooms (and the aromatics) in the steak pan before deglazing.  It puts a little time pressure on the operation.  If we're talking dinner for four, no biggie.  But if it's family Christmas, maybe you're better off doing something which doesn't require last minute attention.  If, on the other-other hand you're a confident cook who likes to entertain in the kitchen, flaming off a pan in front of the guests is fun for everyone.  And isn't flame one of the reasons we like cooking with cognac so much?

A very easy jus is 1-1/2 beef stock, 1 cup red wine, and 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce, reduced by 1/3. 

My wife likes me to make red wine reductions; if that's your choice I suggest mixing some beef stock into the wine, rather than going with straight wine. 

I usually make my horseradish sauces with sour cream, creme-fraiche, some dijon mustard, green peppercorns (softened in brine), and a little salt; but for Christmas, you can fold the horseradish/mustard mixture into stiffly whipped (unsweetened) cream. 

BDL

Top the tenderloin with a roasted chestnut, cracked black pepper, and madeira compound butter.

rules? what rules? whose rules? one sauce to a plate? really? who knew..., hmmmm...and all this time i've been.......i apologize if i come off flippant here but the one sauce on a plate 'rule' seems so yesterday to me...i serve lots of entrees with two sauces.....

bdl, while i might agree with you about the op's choice of a brown butter sage sauce, i think of it as not so much of a sauce but just something to 'wet' the ravioli with...i do not think it neccessarily limits the beef sauce.....it just requires more finesse....personally, i would leave the sage out as i do agree that is a hard flavor to complement..but not impossible....finesse....

joey 

I don't agree with rules either.  However I find brown butter sauce with sage to be over powering anything else on the plate.  I wouldn't want it near my tenderloin and I'd be confused if they ended up together on my plate.  The only thing I want next to my tenderloin is potatoes.  Raviolis get their own plate, their own course but that's just me.  If they were served together I'd choose one over the other but not both. 

kk,

you really must get out more!

joey

To sauce or not to sauce , that is the Question.

There are two great components going on a plate. Both are stars. The other thing to consider is that both are rich. Why not serve the ravioli as an app and the tenderloin as the main. Cook  Tenderloin then with the drippings make a simple sauce  ,maybe serve a tomato au gratin with it (a minute to make) and just don't stress. ......asperagus spears to add color.

If you have time to make a sauce, well now that should be a thread all on its own.

Petals.

petals, mon amie...you hold the title of 'ambassador' here...or at least you should....always gracious and always sur le pointe...or is that en pointe?

joey