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Cooking a beef tenderloin and making a classic demi-glace can feel like a lot of work, especially when your schedule is busy. Achieving the right internal temperature in a steak often requires careful pan control or a meat thermometer. Traditional demi-glace is also time-consuming, often taking many hours to develop deep flavor.
Sous vide simplifies both problems. While it is a slow method, it cooks precisely and reliably—so you can leave the meat to finish while you go about your day. You can also prepare a quicker demi-glace-style sauce to serve with the tenderloin in under an hour.
Equipment
- Sous vide circulator (popular models include Anova and Joule).
- Container or large pot for the water bath; a sturdy container is useful for larger cuts.
- Vacuum sealer and bags, or heavy-duty freezer Ziploc bags. If using Ziploc, use the water displacement method to remove air.
Best Sous Vide Tenderloin Recipe
This method produces a tender, evenly cooked beef tenderloin and a rich, fast demi-glace-style sauce. The sous vide portion is mostly hands-off, while the sauce can be made while the meat cooks.
Ingredients:
Spices and amounts are to taste.
Steak:
- Beef tenderloin
- Butter
- Fresh rosemary
- Salt
- Pepper
Sauce:
- Shallots
- 1/2 cup red wine
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cups beef stock
- Fresh thyme
- Parsley (stems and leaves)
- Clarified butter
- All-purpose flour
- Bay leaf
- Peppercorns
Directions:
- Set your sous vide circulator to 140°F (60°C) for a medium-rare finish, or adjust to your desired doneness.
- Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels.
- Season the meat evenly with rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- Place the seasoned tenderloin into a vacuum bag or a heavy-duty Ziploc.
- Add four small cubes of butter to the bag for extra flavor and richness.
- Vacuum-seal the bag, or use the water displacement method to remove air if using a Ziploc.
- Submerge the sealed bag in the preheated water bath and clip it in place so it stays fully submerged.
- Cook for at least 1 hour; for a typical tenderloin you may cook 1–2 hours depending on thickness.
- While the meat cooks, make the demi-glace-style sauce: heat a small amount of oil and a bit of clarified butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Sauté finely chopped shallots, parsley stems, whole peppercorns, bay leaf, and thyme until softened and fragrant.
- Add the red wine and reduce it by about half to concentrate flavor.
- Sprinkle a small amount of flour into the pan and stir to form a light paste (this will help thicken the sauce).
- Cook the flour paste for 2–3 minutes until it takes on a light brown color.
- Stir in two cups of beef stock, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Allow the stock to reduce until it has lost about one-third of its original volume.
- Strain the reduced stock through cheesecloth to remove solids and return the strained liquid to the pan.
- Add the remaining cup of beef stock, bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer until the sauce is reduced by about half and has a glaze-like consistency.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste and finish with a pat of butter or a spoon of clarified butter for shine, if desired.
- When the sous vide time is complete, remove the tenderloin from the bag and pat it dry thoroughly.
- Sear the tenderloin quickly on a hot pan or use a kitchen torch to develop a browned crust without overcooking the interior.
- Slice or place the whole tenderloin on a plate, spoon streaks of the demi-glace over or around it, and serve with vegetables and mashed potatoes if you like.
Enjoy a reliably tender steak and a rich, reduced sauce with minimal active cooking time thanks to sous vide.