Grass-Fed Beef Tenderloin with Blackberry Compote

The rich, deep wine color of the blackberry compote appears autumnal, but the taste is 100% summer. The berry flavors shine through and nicely complement the meat. I was inspired by an Epicurious recipe for venison with blackberry compote, but liked the idea of grass-fed beef a bit better. I’ve reduced the amount of compote from the original recipe and added fresh raspberries, since I had them on hand. My kids loved the compote so much they ate it alone and asked for seconds. In fact, maybe I shouldn’t have reduced the yield. Had there been any leftover, I would have happily eaten it over Greek yogurt in the morning or stirred it into oatmeal. Next time.

    • For the blackberry compote:
    • 1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cored and cut into 1/4″ dice
    • 1/2 cup brandy
    • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    • Pinch kosher salt
    • 1 cup fresh blackberries, rinsed and picked over
    • 1 cup fresh raspberries, rinsed
    • 1 teaspoon butter
    • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint, plus more for serving

 

  • For the beef:
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound grass-fed beef tenderloin steaks (4 oz. each)

  • To make the blackberry compote, place the diced apple, brandy, sugar and kosher salt in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Once the liquid has almost completely cooked off (about 10 minutes), remove from the heat and stir in the berries. At this point, you can allow the compote to cool completely and store covered in the refrigerator for up to a day. Finish the compote just before serving the beef. If the compote has been refrigerated, reheat it over medium low heat. Add the butter and mint, stirring gently to combine.
  • Heat a grill to medium high direct heat. While the grill is heating, combine the rosemary, salt, pepper and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the rosemary-olive oil paste on the steaks and allow them to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. The grill should now be nice and hot. Place the steaks on the grill and cook to the preferred temperature (about 4 minutes per side for medium rare). Remove the steaks from the grill and cover loosely with foil, allowing them to rest for 5 minutes.
  • Serve the steak topped with the warm blackberry compote. Garnish with additional chopped mint, if desired.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 20 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4


One response to “Grass-Fed Beef Tenderloin with Blackberry Compote”

  1. Lynda says:
    September 3, 2011 at 8:54 pm

    This is so interesting with the blackberries and the beef. I bet it tastes fantastic. Thanks for the idea!

    Reply

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