Recipe: Filet of Beef With Three-Peppercorn Sauce

Jan. 29, 2007 — -- From former White House chef Walter Scheib:To welcome President Bush to the White House, we made this dish using one of his favorite cuts of meat as part of the Inaugural Day buffet, served just hours after the ceremony.

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.

3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over high heat. Put the tenderloin in the pan and brown on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes total. Set aside the sauté pan; do not wash.

4. Set a rack in a roasting pan and transfer the tenderloin to the rack. Roast in the oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the tenderloin reads 140°F for medium rare, 15 to 20 minutes, longer for more well done. Transfer the tenderloin to a cutting board and let rest for 7 minutes.

5. While the tenderloin is resting, return the sauté pan in which it was seared to the stovetop and heat over medium-high heat. Ladle in ½ cup of the sauce and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any flavorful bits. Bring to a boil and let boil 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into the rest of the sauce.

6. To serve, snip off and discard the kitchen string and slice the tenderloin into ½ -inch slices. Place 2 or 3 slices on each of four dinner plates. Spoon some sauce over each serving and pass any remaining sauce alongside. Serves 4.