Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin in Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups Red Wine
3 Cloves of Garlic
1 3/4 Cups Beef Broth
1 1/4 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 1/2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
1 Tbsp Shallots, chopped
4 Slices Center-Cut Bacon
4 (1'' thick) Beef Tenderloin Steaks
Olive Oil 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

To prepare the sauce, combine the first five ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan and then whisk in the tomato paste. Bring ingredients to a simmer over medium heat and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.

While the sauce is reducing, tightly wrap one slice of bacon around each steak and secure with a toothpick. Brush a thin layer of olive oil on both sides of each steak and season with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.

To prepare the steaks, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the steaks, cooking 2 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove the steaks from the pan, set the skillet aside, and place the steaks on a baking sheet.

Bake for 4-5 minutes, or until your desired degree of doneness, which can be measured with a meat thermometer. For rare steak, cook until the internal temperature reaches 120°F; for medium rare, 125°F; for medium, 130°F.

Remove any extra grease from the skillet to sear the steaks then add 1 Tbsp of butter and the shallots. Sauté over medium heat until the shallots soften. Add the cornstarch and stir until combined. Add the sauce to the skillet and bring to a simmer; stir until thickened. Remove the garlic cloves and thyme and whisk in the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter.

Remove the toothpicks from the steaks, plate them, then spoon some of the sauce over each.

Originally published in The Wine Cellar March 2019.

White Wine Bacon Avocado Alfredo

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Olive oil
2 Garlic cloves, minced
2 Cups Heavy cream
1/4 Tsp White pepper
1/2 Cup Grated parmesan
1 Cup Mozzarella, grated
1 1/2 Cups Avocado, diced
1/2 Cup Half and half cream
3/4 Cup White wine
1/2 Lbs Bacon, cooked, drained

Directions:

Melt butter in medium saucepan with olive oil over medium/low heat. Add the garlic, cream, white pepper and bring mixture to a simmer. Stir often. Add the Parmesan cheese and gradually add the white wine. Simmer sauce for 8-10 minutes or until sauce has thickened and is smooth. While sauce is simmering, add avocado pieces into a blender with 1/2 cup half and half. Blend until smooth. Add avocado paste to sauce, mixing until smooth. When sauce has thickened add the Mozzarella cheese and stir until thoroughly combined. STIR FREQUENTLY. While the sauce cooks, boil noodles for 3-5 minutes. Once noodles are cooked, pour sauce over noodles, plate and top pasta with bacon pieces.


Originally published in The Wine Cellar May 2018.