Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Tomato Confit

This dish is great because you can make most of it ahead! You can make the tomato confit up to 3 days in advance and you can rub the beef with the mix of herbs and aromatics the day before, wrap tightly, and cook the day of.  It's great for parties because the dish uses basic flavors but turns them up a notch. I also like to serve this dish with the mushroom bread pudding but it would also be great with simple mashed potatoes or other easy sides. 


For beef

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 (4- to 4 1/2-pound) trimmed beef tenderloin roast, tied

For tomato madeira confit

• 8 large garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
• 1/2 California or 1 Turkish bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup Madeira (preferably Verdelho), divided
• 1/4 cup water

Preparation

Marinate beef:
1. Stir together garlic, shallot, herbs, oil, kosher salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper, then rub all over beef. Marinate in a sealed large bag, chilled, 1 day.

Make confit:
1. Cook garlic in oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat, turning occasionally, until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. 

2. Add tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon table salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 cup Madeira and briskly simmer, stirring frequently and crushing tomatoes with a heatproof rubber spatula, until tomatoes start to break down and oil separates slightly, about 1 hour. Mash garlic into tomatoes with a potato masher, then stir in 1/4 cup Madeira. Discard bay leaf. 

Roast beef:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before roasting.

2. Roast beef in a 17- by 11-inch shallow heavy baking pan until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of thickest part of meat registers 120°F, 35 to 45 minutes. 

3. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 to 20 minutes (temperature of meat will rise to about 130°F, for medium-rare). 

4. Meanwhile, add water and remaining 1/4 cup Madeira to baking pan and deglaze over medium-low heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Stir into tomato confit. 

5. Cut off and discard string from beef, then cut meat into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with confit. 

Cooks' note: Confit, without pan juices, can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat and stir in pan juices from beef.