Recipes Parmesan and Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin 5.0 (4,815) 2 Reviews This glorious, pepper-rubbed roasted beef tenderloin is coated with herbed bread crumbs that have been mixed with anchovies, which add a nice pungent accent to the rich meat. The roast beef is served with a simple, flavorful red wine sauce. Plus: Beef Recipes & Cooking Tips By Maria Helm Sinskey Maria Helm Sinskey F&W Star Chef » See All F&W Chef Superstars Maria Helm Sinskey (an F&W Best New Chef 1996) is the author of two fantastic cookbooks, Family Meals and The Vineyard Kitchen, which features recipes from the Napa winery she runs with her husband, Robert Sinskey. Here, she shares spectacular holiday gifts to make at home, a delicious and colorful cocktail and more. » More Holiday Inspiration from Star Chefs What are your favorite holiday food gifts? Most people appreciate something you make, that they can’t buy. It doesn’t have to be expensive, it just might take more time. But it’s always much more appreciated than candles. Every year I give Capezzana Olio Nuovo with a big chunk of organic Parmigiano-Reggiano. I love Capezzana because it’s so grassy and fresh and has this pepperiness, it just wakes up my senses. I love making salted caramels. It’s so much fun to twist them in waxed paper because it looks professional even though they’re homemade. In late fall I go out into the vineyard with my kids and pick the second harvest, the grapes left behind on the vine. We make a grape confiture, almost like a chutney, with vinegar, wine, the grapes and some warm spices, which we preserve in little bottles. Then if I’m going to somebody’s house for the holidays, I’ll bring a little jar of confiture and a wedge of a cheese. It’s great with fresh goat cheese and Cowgirl Creamery Wagon Wheel cheese. It’s an instant appetizer. We also make gingerbread people, which we decorate with royal icing, making them really ornate, and we put people’s names on them. That’s a great gift when you’re going to someone’s house, especially with kids. What’s your favorite holiday cocktail? A pomegranate cocktail with freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, rye, burnt orange zest and a little simple syrup. I serve it on the rocks because otherwise I get too drunk, but you can serve it many ways depending on your crowd: as a smash on crushed ice, or on big ice cubes, or shaken and served straight-up. We have tons of pomegranates in November and December. It’s so easy to juice one: cut it in half and squeeze it on an electric juicer, like an orange. Let the sediment settle then pour the juice off. You can garnish the drinks with a few pomegranate seeds; my kids love to pick the seeds out. To them they’re like jewels in a box. Can you share one great entertaining tip? Do everything ahead. Set the table, polish the glasses, arrange the barware, and then make a one-pot main course that you have to reheat, like a blanquette de veau. Everyone puts off setting the table, but you can do it a day ahead of time. You can cut flowers and arrange them in a vase a day ahead, too. I always see people freaking out and running around to set the table while they’re trying to cook some elaborate feast like seared steaks and a complicated side. Blanquette de veau, braised beef, or chicken with mini dumplings are all so elegant. You can make them a day ahead and they only get better. Plus in winter, people want something warm and sustaining. Another thing, people love to bring flowers. So always have a vase available, that way you don’t have to leave the party to go get one right when everyone arrives. What’s your most requested recipe? People always ask me about risotto. They want to know how do you make it seasonal. In fall and spring we make mushroom risotto; in the fall and winter we make a winter squash risotto with butternut squash and fried sage. In spring we do prosciutto and peas. People also tell me risotto is hard, it gets lumpy, and they ask me what my tricks are. One thing I do is stir it constantly—not to make it creamy, but to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Stirring helps to release the starch, but starch releases naturally, which also makes the risotto more liable to burn on the bottom, unless you stir. What’s your favorite cookbook of all time?Lulu’s Provençal Table, by Richard Olney. I like the way it’s written, the tone of it, and the stories. And the recipes are great. They’re simple. What’s one technique everyone should know? How to chop an onion evenly and finely, using a sharp knife. The days of rough-cut, hacked onions are over. Cut it vertically with the knife pointing to the root end, then horizontally twice, parallel to the cutting board, then vertically again. The knife just has to be sharp. If it’s dull it doesn’t work. That’s the biggest crime people suffer from, having dull knives. If you have a sharp knife, it’s the easiest thing to do in the world, you just have to practice. And even the best chefs in the world, at one point, even they had to practice. But it’s quite an accomplishment to be able to chop an onion well.1996 Best New Chef Bio Won Best New Chef at: PlumpJack Cafe, San Francisco Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 15, 2016 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Ryan Robert Miller Active Time: 40 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 45 mins Yield: 12 to 14 servings Ingredients Two 3-pound center-cut beef tenderloin roasts, at room temperature 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing Salt 2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black peppercorns 2 cups fresh bread crumbs 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley Freshly ground black pepper 2 cups dry red wine 2 cups veal demiglace (see Note) 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons Directions Preheat the oven to 425°. Rub the tenderloins all over with olive oil and season with salt and the cracked peppercorns. Set the tenderloins on a large, heavy-gauge rimmed baking sheet, allowing space between them, and roast in the upper third of the oven for 20 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix the bread crumbs with the Parmesan, anchovies, garlic, thyme and parsley. Blend in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season the crumbs with salt and pepper. Carefully pack the bread crumbs on top of each tenderloin. Lower the oven temperature to 400° and roast the meat for about 20 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 130° for medium-rare. Using 2 long spatulas, transfer the tenderloins to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, set the baking sheet over 2 burners. Add the wine and bring to a simmer over moderately high heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Strain the wine into a medium saucepan and simmer over high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup. Whisk in the veal demiglace and bring to a boil; simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the sauce stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Using a gentle sawing motion, carve the beef tenderloins into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve, passing the remaining sauce at the table. Make Ahead The herbed bread crumbs can be refrigerated overnight. Let the bread crumbs return to room temperature before proceeding. Notes Veal demiglace is available at specialty food stores and from D'Artagnan (dartagnan.com or 800-327-8246). Suggested Pairing There aren't many reds powerful enough to match this super-rich beef, but look for a supple Cabernet Sauvignon or blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Rate it Print