Perfectly lovely table....
Sorry about the meat...I would have loved it.
In the future...remember that an under done piece of beef will benefit from a very VERY short time in the micro...that's what restaurnts do if your steak is under done.
And remember you can cook more but not cook less...and for me an over done steak is not good at all.
Still drooling over the table....what do you have those individual candles in??
Linda C

Linda, Thanks for the tip. I just kicked myself for not watching when she made the first cut. I could have just returned the whole thing to the oven. Too much partying, not much paying attention.

The small vessels are actually sparkly tea light holders. I had scented tea lights in them. I have a little candle 'problem' and have quite the collection of stuff.
Sue

"Candle problem" LOL! I'll just bet I have you beat!!!...I have a serious illness!! Why else do you think I asked???

Sue, your table looks very inviting. We love pink in the middle tenderloin and the softness is partly why I love tenderloin cooked whole.

Nancy

Sue, your table is absolutely lovely! Enough so that I would totally not care about the food! LOL

I have never done a tenderloin so I cannot offer any advice, but it would seem that your guests had a wonderful dinner and you all had a wonderful time, so that says it all.

Linda

I haven't done a tenderloin, either. Your table is absolutely beautiful, but I have a rather strange question. How do you serve dinner with all the candles? I come from a long line of klutz's, have married a klutz, and have produced 2 klutzy children :-) How do you manage with the candles without someone or someones catching on fire?

I absolutely love candles, and our living room is full of them, but I tend to keep them sparse on the dining room table. I'd love to change that!

Mandie

The table does look gorgeous, but I'm not sure I would use scented candles with food- seems to me it would be too confusing.

Your table is gorgeous and I know the company was wonderful! I'm sorry the meat wasn't done to your liking, I like mine still moo-ing so it would have been perfect for me. LOL! I love the little tea lights too and use mine quite often, but I do use unscented ones.

I bet the evening was lovely despite the twice cooked steak!

Alexa

Nope, the scented candles tea lights don't give off any significant scent. My house is always scented anyway so no one would really think twice about it.

The aromas from the food always win out anyway.

s

I would not put a steak in the micro! I've worked in restaurants/hotels since I was 19, and we NEVER put an underdone steak in the micro. It went back on the grill or in the oven, or in the case of prime rib, the Chef would just cut a more well done piece from the end of the roast. If it was only slightly undercooked, it got a swim in the very hot au jus.

If I make beef or pork tenderloin, I cook to between 132 and 135 and let it rest. I have been known to cut it open in the thickest part just to make sure it's done enough. If not, it goes back in the oven. One time I cut the roast in half a pan seared it, which worked fine too.

Gorgeous table. Next time when the steak is rare...CALL ME!!! (I will eat it all)
Sherry

The last few times I've had tenderloin, I've gone through the whole deal of buying a whole tenderloin at Sam's, trimming it myself, etc... I cut most of it into 1 1/2 inch thick steaks.

I've found that learning your frying pan's idiosyncrasies is important. For me and a cast iron skillet, here's my technique: preheat the skillet over medium high heat for a few minutes. Add a tsp or so of grapeseed oil and smear it around. Put the room-temperature steaks in the pan and DON"T MOVE it for 3 and a half minutes. Flip it and put it in another place in the pan for another 3 minutes (again, don't move it). Remove and plate.

That gives a really nice crusty sear, about 1/4 to 3/8 inch of medium-cooked meat, and a nice pinkish to red center. If you want it medium throughout, you can add a minute to each side.

Note that works for my cast iron pan; if I use an aluminum nonstick pan, I need to increase the timings.

You can then deglaze the pan with brandy or stock if you want to make a sauce.

I once had a Christmas dinner where I cooked a standing rib roast. I cooked it to medium rare throughout, but for those people who wanted it more done, I simply put their slice under the broiler for a minute or two each side. Everybody was happy.

Lovely table Sue.

Too bad about the meat and I know what you mean about too much partying! LOL

That's why I often do Beef Wellington if I'm cooking for more than 4. The beef is cooked too the rare stage, cooled and covered with the force meat and then wrapped in puff pastry. By the time the pastry is cooked the beef is just under medium rare. After a little sit time it is cooked just right for our liking.

Regardless of the meat, I know you and your friends had a wonderful evening.

We have a whole beef tenderloin every year for Christmas dinner - it is the easiest thing in the world to make but it truly is a shame to serve such an expensive and tender piece of meat in an overdone state....medium rare is as much as it should be cooked...the ends are always a bit more done that the middle.

Here is my favorite recipe:

Roast Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Ragout
From Food Network Kitchens
Prep Time: 15 min Inactive Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 40 min Level:
Easy Serves:
4 to 6 servings Ingredients
2 pounds center-cut beef tenderloin roast
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
Optional: Dijon or Whole-grain mustard, cracked mixed peppercorns, or herbes d' Provence
Mushroom Ragout, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Season the beef all over with salt and a generous amount of pepper. Add the oil to the skillet and heat until shimmering. Add the butter and swirl to melt. Add the beef and sear until mahogany brown on all sides, about 8 minutes total.

Transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 130 degrees F. for medium-rare, about 25-27 minutes. Transfer the roast to a cutting board, tent it very loosely with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Slice crosswise, arrange on a platter, and serve with the mushroom ragout.

Mushroom Ragout:

1 pound mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, or white button

2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium shallot or 1/2 small onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped

1/2 cup Madeira, vermouth, or white wine

1/3 cup heavy cream

Clean the mushrooms by brushing with a kitchen towel or a brush to remove any loose dirt. Remove the shiitake stems and discard. Trim the dry ends off the cremini and white mushroom stems. Quarter all the mushrooms and put in a bowl.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and spread them out evenly in the pan, increase the heat to high. Let the mushrooms cook undisturbed until they brown, then shake the pan to turn them over. Add the additional butter along the sides of the pan as the mushrooms cook if the pan seems very dry. Continue to cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Season the mushrooms with the salt and pepper and add the thyme. Pull the pan off the heat and add the Madeira or the wine. Return pan to the heat and scrape up any of the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the heavy cream and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and serve.

Yield: 2 cups

My friend barbecues a whole beef tenderloin and it is wonderful.

Ganggreen: Thank you. Everyone is pretty use to the candles and I've not had a problem...well, only once when a centerpiece caught fire and my beloved BIL wngrossed in his baked clams stopped for a minute to inquire 'what's on fire"? We were already putting it out, he was just a little slow to respond - he was enjoying his food too much.

Sharon (Chase): Thank you. This is a crowd that goes for basic stuff, so I can't cook the same for them that I would for say my family or other friends. They're pretty basic. The Wellington sounds great, just not for them!

Arley: What a cooncidence! Because I wasn't satisfied with the roast that night, I defrosted two filet steaks and cooked them on Sunday. I browned them in the cast iron (3 minutes!) and then finished them in the oven. I waited til they were 137 degrees and pulled them out to rest, covered.

They were perfect. Next time that's how I will cook them.

Sherry: You got it!

LindaC: My name is Sue and I am a candle-holic. Actually after two almost very serious incidents, I now have battery-operated candles on my mantel. Be very careful with glittery candles as the actual outside coating of glitter is extremely flammable. I know this for a fact!

Weed: Yes, I was crazed enough putting them in the oven. They'd have to sedate me to put them in the microwave.

Oh, my water glasses weren't in this shot. Do over!
Usually I have gold spirals wrapped around the napkins so that when my guests take them off the napkins, they are all over the table and very sparkly.

Thanks for all your comments.Most appreciated.

Sue

Sue, beautifully set table. I'm sorry about your meat. You could have served it to me. I take my beef, off the grill or out of the oven when it is under 120°F.

Ann

Sue, I'm glad you had a lovely evening. I'm not a "rare" person either, but wouldn't have cared what you served me if I were sitting at your gorgeous table:) Stunning.

Cathy in SWPA

Sue, your table is beautiful! Pretty please let me see the gold spirals that you wrap around your napkins? I need a new idea for New Year's Eve this year - we'll have the grands here. I love to give them a "party table" - last time was Valentine's Day and I had a ball doing it and they loved it!

Woodie2,

I believe the stuff was actually garland, but not the big fluffy kid. It was gold milar type paper (like the stuff the card-store helium balloons are made of)wrapped around wire with little stars coming off it in the same milar stuff.

I imagine they have it at the craft store or wherever you get Christmas decorations. I bought is so long ago, I can't remember where I got it.

Thanks, Sue!

Sue Im a candle freak too,I also have a machine that pumps oils (lavander,rosemary) just like at the spas....Peir 1 imports have wonderful sprays...that said...I feel your pain we like Med well and the rare thing would have drove me nuts Your dinig rooms is lovely your wallpaper looks like mine!

I'm with Weed about the microwave thing. I spent over 25 years in the restaurant biz, and many of those years were in a restaurant that specialized in Prime Rib, Rack of Lamb, etc. Far better to give an already cut piece of meat a short time under the broiler or on the grill to bring the temp up. With a microwave you run too great a risk of "rubberizing" your meat.

Of course, in my case it wouldn't be a problem as I like my beef very rare. :D

Stunning table!!

I thought of you when I came across this Cooks Illustrated recipe in my email today.

Roast Beef Tenderloin
Serves 4 to 6. Published March 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated.

If using table salt, reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon. Ask your butcher to prepare a trimmed, center-cut Châteaubriand from the whole tenderloin, as this cut is not usually available without special ordering. If you are cooking for a crowd, this recipe can be doubled to make two roasts. Sear the roasts one after the other, wiping out the pan and adding new oil after searing the first roast. Both pieces of meat can be roasted on the same rack.

Ingredients
1 beef tenderloin center-cut Châteaubriand (about 2 pounds), trimmed of fat and silver skin (see note)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (see note)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 recipe flavored butter (see related recipes)

Instructions
1. Using 12-inch lengths of twine, tie roast crosswise at 11/2-inch intervals. Sprinkle roast evenly with salt, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Pat roast dry with paper towels. Sprinkle roast evenly with pepper and spread unsalted butter evenly over surface. Transfer roast to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 125 degrees for medium-rare, 40 to 55 minutes, or 135 degrees for medium, 55 to 70 minutes, flipping roast halfway through cooking.

3. Heat oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place roast in skillet and sear until well browned on four sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side (total of 4 to 8 minutes). Transfer roast to carving board and spread 2 tablespoons flavored butter evenly over top of roast; let rest 15 minutes. Remove twine and cut meat crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. Serve, passing remaining flavored butter separately.

Sue, I'd have been very happy with your beef too, I like mine extremely rare. That doesn't help you with your guests, though, I know. I'm sorry that didn't turn out as well as you'd hoped.

Your table is just beautiful though. I'm not a candle person but the boss likes them so well that she now sells those Party Lites things, and keeps giving them to me as gifts. I give them to Ashley, LOL, who gives them to her girlfriends as gifts. Regifted regifts!

Annie

Sue, both the table and meal sound wonderful to me too. Anther one that likes her beef to be mooing (I like steak tartare too), so I would have been a happy camper.

Catnap, the mushrooms sound heavenly. Copied and pasted for later this week. I have a feeling the leftovers, if there are any would be great in a puff pastry shell or on toast points too.

Sue your table looks beautiful! And I love your wallpaper and cream window frames and molding.

Too bad you had to redo the meat but it sounds like everyone was happy in the end.

I'm sending you a PM via Gardenweb in answer to yours. I hope it gets through since the forum has tech problems at the moment!

SharonCb :-)

Catnap, thank you posting your recipe. I made this for NYE and it was a huge it. Those mushrooms are to die for. I used Madeira rather than wine or vermouth, it just sounded right.

Peppi