Recipe Background
Pop's Tenderloin Steaks celebrate simple home comfort with garlicky butter.
The day I brought my daughter home from the hospital was a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration, and undeniably one of those life-changing milestones. My partner and I were knee-deep in baby blankets and soft lullabies when I decided we needed to celebrate. Something simple yet special to remind us of the little victories amidst sleepless nights. That's when I decided to make Pop's Tenderloin Steaks, a dish my own father made for Mom every time life turned a corner. These steaks needed nothing more than the straightforward elegance of salt and a hefty grind of black pepper. The real magic happened when the thyme-specked butter slid over the heat of the cast iron pan, releasing warm, fragrant waves of garlic that danced through the kitchen.
I still remember how, amidst halting baby cries, I seared those steaks with the dedication only a new parent could muster, while my partner cooed an impromptu lullaby in the living room. Letting the steaks rest, covered with foil, gave me just enough time to savor a moment of peace, baby nestled close. That quick twenty-minute chill of the garlic-thyme butter in our tiny fridge was a secret, just between me and the dish, ensuring everything was ready for that final embrace of smooth, herbal richness. As we took our first bite, we weren't just savoring steaks. We were stepping onto the path of parenthood, filet by filet.
Pro tip: Pat those steaks dry before seasoning to form that crispy crust, ensuring umami magic happens whether covered in nappies or napkins.
Ingredients
For the garlic-thyme butter:
- 1/4 cup butter room temperature
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
For the steaks:
- 4 (6-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks room temperature and patted dry
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- fresh rosemary sprigs optional, to taste, for garnish
Directions
- In a bowl, add 1/4 cup of the butter, the garlic, and the chopped thyme and mix to combine.
- On a piece of wax paper, form the butter mixture into a strip that has a diameter the size of a quarter.
- Roll up the wax paper and twist the ends.
- Place the wax paper log in the refrigerator and chill the garlic-thyme butter, for at least 20 minutes and up to 8 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Evenly season both sides of each of the steaks with the salt and the pepper and press, as needed, to help the seasonings adhere.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the remaining butter and the oil to the heated cast-iron skillet and cook until the butter has melted.
- Add the steaks to the oil-butter mixture and sear, about 2-3 minutes per side. Spoon the oil-butter mixture over the steaks while they cook.
- Transfer the cast-iron skillet to the oven and bake the steaks until they reach an internal temperature of at least 135 degrees F for medium-rare doneness, about 6-10 minutes.
- Transfer the wax paper log from the refrigerator, unroll it, and cut the garlic-thyme butter into 2 equal halves.
- Transfer the cast-iron skillet to a wire rack and evenly top the steaks with scoops from 1 of the halves of the garlic-thyme butter.
- Cover the cast-iron skillet with foil and let the steaks rest, about 10 minutes.
- Top the steaks with scoops from the remaining half of the garlic-thyme butter.
- Serve the steaks garnished with the rosemary sprigs.
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