Rick’s Simple Roast Beef Tenderloin

To age the tenderloin, set it on a rack over a roasting pan and refrigerate it 3 to 4 days. If you do age the meat, you can reduce the post-roasting resting time to 15 to 20 minutes. To give the tenderloin a more pronounced pepper crust, increase the amount of pepper to 6 tablespoons and use a mixture of strong black and white and mild pink and green peppercorns. Be sure to crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or with a heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet. Do not use a coffee or spice grinder, which will grind the softer green and pink peppercorns to a powder before the harder black and white peppercorns begin to break up.

1 beef tenderloin (5 to 6 pounds), thoroughly patted dry

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons ground black pepper (coarse)

Preheat oven to 425°.

Remove tenderloin from refrigerator 2 to 3 hours before roasting. Use a sharp knife to carefully nick the silver skin on the side opposite the tail with shallow slashes at 1 1/2-inch intervals. Tuck tail end under about 6 inches to ensure that the tenderloin roasts evenly and tie roast crosswise, knotting at 1 1/2-inch intervals.

Adjust oven rack to upper middle position. Set meat on a sheet of plastic wrap and rub all over with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; then, lift plastic wrap up and around meat to press on excess.

Transfer prepared tenderloin from wrap to wire rack set on shallow roasting pan. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast registers about 125° (meat will range from medium-rare to medium in different areas of the roast), about 45 minutes. Let stand for about 30 minutes before carving. (Can be wrapped in plastic, refrigerated up to 2 days, sliced, and served chilled.)

Cut meat into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange on a serving platter and serve with the following sauce or another sauce of your choice.

Serves 12 to 16