This post is sponsored by Watkins. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In my family, menu planning for holidays starts as soon as the first leaf falls. Many phone calls go back and forth regarding who is bringing what to which gathering. If you are included in this phone chain, consider yourself an adult. Being able to contribute to holiday meals is a rite of passage. I can still remember one my first contributions to Holiday dinner. I wanted it to be special and memorable. This is why I am excited to partner with Watkins using their gourmet organic spices. They believe in keeping family traditions alive with time honored recipes.

I combed through different magazines and landed on a Spice Rubbed Roasted Beef Tenderloin from Fine Cooking. It was foolproof and an instant hit! It was requested year after year and a dish people looked forward to. Years down the road I have made it my own by adding to the spice blend and pairing it with a decadent red wine sauce. Since this is for those I care about most, I want to make sure my flavors are on point. I love using Watkins' spices because the quality and flavor is consistent. I also love that they are made with all natural or organic ingredients. Which makes me feel good about the ingredients I am using to feed my family. For information on where you can find Watkins products visit the website Watkins1868.com.

Spice Rubbed Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce

ingredients

• For the beef

  • 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh thyme

  • 1 Tbs. ground fennel seed

  • 1 tsp. Watkins Organic Paprika

  • 1/2 tsp Watkins Organic Garlic Powder

  • 1/2 tsp Watkins Organic Black Pepper

  • 1 Tbs Watkins Himalayan Salt

  • 1 1-1/2-lb. beef butt tenderloins, trimmed

• For the Sauce

  • 2 Tbs. unsalted butter

  • 1 Tbs. olive oil or canola oil

  • 4 oz. cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (1-3/4 cup)

  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced shallot (1 medium)

  • 1/4 tsp. granulated sugar

  • Watkins Himalayan Salt

  • 1/2 tbsp Watkins Organic Thyme Leaves

  • 1 tsp. Watkins Organic Ground Black Pepper

  • 1 750-ml bottle dry, hearty red wine,such as Shiraz or Zinfandel

  • 2 cups lower-salt beef broth

  • 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour

instructions

Season the beef

1. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, thyme, fennel, paprika, 1 Tbs. salt, and 1-1/2 tsp. pepper. Pat the tenderloins dry with paper towels and coat them with the spice mixture, using your hands to spread it evenly; it will sparsely cover the meat.

   
   Make the sauce

2. Melt 1 Tbs. of the butter and the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, shallot, sugar, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the thyme, and half of the wine. Simmer briskly until the wine reduces and just covers the solids, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the remaining wine and reduce again until the wine just covers the solids, 10 to 12 minutes more. Add the beef broth and simmer until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve set over a 1-quart measuring cup, pressing lightly on the solids. If you have more than 1-1/2 cups liquid, return the sauce to the pan and simmer until reduced to 1-1/2 cups

3. Melt the remaining 1 Tbs. butter in a 1-quart saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking often, until smooth and light beige in color, about 1 minute. Slowly add the wine reduction, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roast the beef

• If you’ve seasoned the beef ahead of time, remove it from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for about an hour before roasting. Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.

• Arrange the roasts on a flat rack on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 120°F for rare, 125°F to 130°F for medium rare, or 135°F for medium, 40 to 50 minutes.

Serve

• If the sauce was made ahead, heat gently in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking a few times, until barely simmering.

• Meanwhile, let the beef rest for 15 minutes before carving crosswise into thick slices. Slice only as much as you plan to serve right away (leftovers keep better unsliced). Spoon the sauce over each serving or pass at the table.

RECIPE NOTES: