SUNNY'S EASY BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH HOLIDAY PESTO

Sunny's Easy Beef Tenderloin with Holiday Pesto image

Provided by Sunny Anderson

Time 3h20m

Yield 24 to 30 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 whole beef tenderloin, fat trimmed
Olive oil, for drizzling
2 teaspoons hot Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup fresh parsley
1/3 cup pecans
1/4 cup fresh rosemary
1/4 cup fresh sage
1/4 cup fresh mint
2 cloves garlic
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil, to loosen
Kosher salt
Assorted water crackers
Crostini

Steps:

For the beef: Drizzle the tenderloin all over with olive oil. In a bowl, combine the paprika and salt. Place plenty of black pepper on a plate. Sprinkle the paprika and salt mixture on the beef, then press the beef into the pepper to coat. Wrap tightly and rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Unwrap the beef and place on a wire rack set on a baking sheet. Roast until the internal temperature is about 120 degrees F, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove and rest at room temperature or refrigerate.
For the pesto: In a food processor, combine the parsley, pecans, rosemary, sage, mint, garlic and lemon zest and juice. Pulse while slowly adding enough olive oil until the desired consistency is reached, like a dip. Taste and season with salt. Refrigerate until needed.
To serve: Slice the beef and serve warm or at room temperature alongside the pesto, crackers and crostini.