tenderloin | Catalyit or The Bezos Letters.

Ingredients

Pour a full-bodied red wine, such as a Bordeaux, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.

1 1/2 pounds large shallots (about 24), halved lengthwise, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups canned beef broth
1 1/2 cups tawny Port
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 3- to 3 1/4-pound beef tenderloins (large ends), trimmed
2 teaspoons dried thyme
7 bacon slices, chopped
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 large bunch watercress

Preparation
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. In 9-inch-diameter pie pan, toss shallots with oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until shallots are deep brown and very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Boil broth and Port in large saucepan until reduced to 3 3/4 cups, about 30 minutes. Whisk in tomato paste. (Shallots and broth mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.)

Pat beef dry; sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. In large roasting pan set over medium heat, sauté bacon until golden, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Add beef to pan; brown on all sides over medium-high heat, about 7 minutes. Transfer pan to oven; roast beef until meat thermometer inserted into center registers 125°F for medium-rare, about 45 minutes. Transfer beef to platter. Tent loosely with foil.

Spoon fat off top of pan drippings in roasting pan. Place roasting pan over high heat. Add broth mixture and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer to medium saucepan; bring to simmer. Mix 3 tablespoons butter and flour in small bowl to form smooth paste; whisk into broth mixture and simmer until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Whisk in 3 tablespoons butter. Stir in roasted shallots and reserved bacon. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Cut beef into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Spoon some sauce over. Garnish with watercress. Pass remaining sauce.

Serves 12.

Ingredients

1 head garlic, top sliced off
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 to 1 1/2 pound each) trimmed of excess fat
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
12 fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
12 1/4-inch thick slices bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place garlic in a small ramekin, drizzle with 1-tablespoon olive oil, and wrap in foil. Bake until soft, about 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic flesh from head into a small bowl.

Arrange tenderloins on work surface. Rub the top each tenderloin with 1/2 of the roasted garlic and season with salt and pepper. Mix together the herbs and scatter half of the mix over the garlic on each tenderloin. Wrap 6 strips of bacon around each tenderloin and tie bacon in place with kitchen twine.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat oil in a medium, skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the tenderloins until golden brown on all sides. Transfer seared tenderloins to medium roasting pan; place in the oven and cook to medium doneness about 8 to10 minutes. Transfer tenderloins to cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Remove twine before carving.

Lemon Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

2 cups fresh lemon juice
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest
5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation
Combine juice, sugar and zest in a small non-reactive pan and reduce to 1/2 cup. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss sweet potatoes in oil and roast in a large ovenproof skillet. Roast until lightly golden brown and just cooked through. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a burner over medium heat. Add the glaze to the potatoes and toss to coat evenly. Saute potatoes until all are glazed.

Makes 4 servings.