Recipe: Roast Beef Tenderloin with a Coffee-Chocolate Crust

Chef Marcus Samuelsson writes: "Sometimes a celebration calls for a big, impressive roast of beef, and what better way to honor Mom than with beef tenderloin? It's an elegant cut, fork-tender, but the flavor is mild so it's an ideal candidate for a zesty rub. I start with Provençal flavors -- rosemary, tarragon, mustard, anchovies, garlic -- and add coffee and chocolate for rich, deep notes."

From "Marcus Off Duty: The Recipes I Cook At Home" by Marcus Samuelsson. © 2014 by Marcus Samuelsson. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Roast Beef Tenderloin with a Coffee-Chocolate Crust
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
1 (3- to 4-pound) trimmed beef tenderloin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. coffee beans
2 Tbsp. black peppercorns
2 teaspoons grated unsweetened chocolate (100% cacao)
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
Needles from 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped

Directions:

Take the beef out of the refrigerator 1 hour before you plan to roast it and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Crush the coffee beans and peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or on the counter with the back of a small, heavy skillet.

Mix the coffee bean-peppercorn mixture with the chocolate, mustard, anchovies, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to make a thick paste.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over high heat. When it shimmers, add the beef and sear it on all sides, about 8 minutes. Press down on the beef to get a good crust on it. Slather the paste on the beef and strew the herbs on top.

Slide the skillet into the oven and roast until the beef registers 120° to 125°F for medium-rare; start checking with an instant-read thermometer after 20 minutes. Tent the roast loosely with foil and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving.

• Recipe index: "Sunday Morning"'s 2015 "Food Issue" - Delicious menu suggestions from top chefs and the editors of Bon Appetit magazine

For more info:

• marcussamuelsson.com
• Red Rooster Harlem, New York
• "Yes, Chef: A Memoir" by Marcus Samuelsson with Veronica Chambers (Random House); Also available in Trade Paperback, eBook and Unabridged Audio CD formats
• "New American Table" by Marcus Samuelsson (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• Follow Marcus Samuelsson on Twitter