Name: Rosemary Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Cream
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 4 h 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 lb Swift Boneless Beef Tenderloin; 2 Tablespoons whole black peppercorns; 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 cups sour cream; ¼ cup prepared horseradish; Salt and pepper to taste; 2 Tablespoons chives, freshly snipped

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This Rosemary Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Cream is a wonderful main course recipe for Mother’s Day or any special occasion.

It’s seasoned with a rub of fresh rosemary and cracked peppercorns, which rests overnight, flavoring the beef. Then all you have to do the next day is sear the beef and roast. You can even make the horseradish cream a day ahead too!

NOTE: This post is sponsored by Swift Meats, but all ideas contained within are my own.

A plate of sliced beef tenderloin with horseradish cream, popovers and asparagus. — Sliced beef tenderloin pairs beautifully with horseradish cream, sautéed asparagus, and popovers.

Serving Suggestions

To start things off, begin with my delicious Goat Cheese Tartlets and Rose Pamplemousse Cocktails.
This tender beef tenderloin pairs beautifully with roasted asparagus, or you could serve the asparagus chilled with my Roasted Asparagus Salad with Thyme Shallot Vinaigrette
For a starchy side dish, try my Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Twice Baked Potatoes or my Homemade Popovers.
And for dessert, try my wonderful Lemon Curd Tart or my easy Lemon Pound Cake Recipe.

ingredients laid out on a counter — Boneless Beef Tenderloin is a great cut for a special occasion since it can feed 8 people well.

The Ingredients:

Boneless Beef Tenderloin For this recipe, I’m using a 4lb boneless beef tenderloin by Swift Meats. It’s tender and juicy and the perfect cut for a large gathering because it can feed at least 8 people well. To find a store near you that carries it, check out their store locator guide.
Vegetable Oil The beef gets seared in a heavy bottom roasting pan before roasting in the oven. This will lock in the flavor. For the searing, I use vegetable oil, but you could also use coconut oil or avocado oil. I wouldn’t use olive oil, since it has a lower smoke point and will smoke up your kitchen in the process!
Cracked Pepper If you have an adjustable pepper grinder, you could set it on coarse grind and use that, or just place the peppercorns in a resealable bag, and whack them with a rolling pin on a cutting board.
Fresh Rosemary and beef is such a classic flavor combination. If you don’t have fresh rosemary, you can also substitute with dried.
Salt I like to use coarse kosher salt for the rub on the beef. It will provide the best flavor.
Sour Cream Use full-fat sour cream for the best texture and flavor.
Prepared Horseradish I like a horseradish cream with a kick, so I use a full 1/4 cup of prepared horseradish, but you can start with 2 tablespoons and add more, in one tablespoon increments, to get it to your liking.
Fresh Chives The chives add a wonderful fresh, oniony flavor to the horseradish cream, but you can also use green onions, fresh dill or fresh parsley.

Step#1: Create the Dry Rub

The dry rub is super simple to do and can be made the day ahead.
I love an easy dry rub that packs a wonderful flavor punch!
Place the black peppercorns in a resealable bag, then place the bag on a cutting board to protect your countertops. Then give the bag a whack with a rolling pin or hammer, crushing the peppercorns until a coarse grind appears.
In a small bowl, combine the crushed peppercorns, chopped rosemary and salt.

a bowl of cracked pepper and rosemary sprigs — Crushed peppercorns, fresh rosemary and salt create a delicious rub that is also super simple to do!

Step#2: Apply the Rub to the Beef

Before applying the dry rub, pat the tenderloin down with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. This will help the rub stick to the beef and prevent diluting the flavor of the rub.
Place the tenderloin in a shallow casserole dish.
Apply half the rub to one side of the beef tenderloin, and then flip it over and apply the remaining rub to the other side.
Then cover and refrigerate overnight or a minimum of 4 hours for the best flavor.

a pyrex casserole with a boneless beef tenderloin with a rosemary pepper rub — Apply the dry rub the day before, cover and refrigerate and let the rub work its magic overnight.

Step#3: Sear the Beef

Dust off the excess peppercorns and rosemary before searing. The beef is already well flavored and this will prevent the rosemary and peppercorns from burning in the pan.
Heat a large heavy bottom roasting pan over medium high heat. If you don’t have the type of roasting pan that can be used on a stovetop, then slice the beef in half and sear it in a large skillet, in batches. The searing helps lock in the flavor, so it’s not a step to skip.
Sear the beef on all sides until golden brown and then place the tenderloin in the oven to roast.

Step#4: Roast the Beef

The beef roasts at a high temperature, 425F, which allows this meal to be prepared quickly.
For medium rare doneness (as seen in these pictures) roast until the beef reaches an internal temperature of 140F.
For medium doneness, roast to 145F, medium well 150F and well done roast to 160F+.

Sliced beef on a platter with a horseradish cream sauce — Leftovers make for great sandwiches the next day! Serve on toasted ciabatta bread with the horseradish cream and arugula.

Step#5: Rest and Carve

The most important part of this recipe is the resting period! If you cut into your tenderloin too soon, all the juices will spill out and you’ll have a dry piece of meat.
To keep those juices intact, allow the meat to stay in the hot roasting pan on your cooktop for 10 minutes. This will prevent any additional juice from spilling out onto your board before you slice it.
Then transfer the tenderloin to a carving board, cover with foil and allow it to rest 10 minutes more.
I find the flavor is better when the meat is served warm, especially with the chilled horseradish cream.
Then carve the tenderloin at an angle for the prettiest slices.