Chateaubriand with Béarnaise Sauce and Chateau Potatoes

The story goes that back in the days of Napoleon, Chef Montmireil created a special dish for author and statesman, Francois Chateaubriand. He took a cut of beef from the tenderloin, just down from the filet mignon, coated it in butter, seasoned it with black pepper and grilled it. This cut, now synonymous with the recipe, is a thick steak, large enough to serve at least two people. The recipe below uses the whole tenderloin instead of this smaller piece.

To finish off this dish, the meat is sliced into thin strips, topped with a butter and parsley mixture and served with Béarnaise sauce. The traditional side dish is chateau potatoes. These small potatoes are roasted in a heavy pan, covered in butter.

1 whole beef tenderloin, 5 pounds or under, trimmed
2 tablespoons butter
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Chateau Potatoes
Béarnaise Sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Season the beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, over high heat, melt the butter. Add the beef and sear for a couple of minutes on each side. Place in the oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes for medium rare. Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with Chateau Potatoes and Béarnaise sauce.

Note: The original beef cut mentioned in the introductory paragraphs is the piece of meat usually removed from the beef tenderloin when trimming it. This is not the thinner chain that is removed, but the side piece. See How to Trim a Beef Tenderloin.