Pecan-Grilled Beef Tenderloin Filet with Bearnaise & Marchand du Vin Sauces
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Pecan-Grilled Beef Tenderloin Filet with Bearnaise & Marchand du Vin Sauces

By August 24, 2026

Recipe courtesy of Curtis McKenney, Executive Chef, Coosaw Creek Country Club (North Charleston, S.C.).

Ingredients

Instructions

Procedure for lemon basil vinaigrette:

  1. In a Vitamix, blend all ingredients except the oil until smooth.
  2. Turn blender on high and drizzle in the oil until it is fully incorporated.
  3. Taste for quality and adjust salt as needed.
  4. Store in airtight container.

Procedure for crispy Genoa salami: 

  1. Stack salami slices and julienne.
  2. In a small sauce pot, bring the sunflower oil up to 350 F.
  3. Carefully drop salami pieces into the oil.
  4. Stir salami with meat tongs while it fries until it stops bubbling.
  5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a sizzle plate lined with a paper towel.
  6. Allow to cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container.

Procedure for herb oil:

  1. Mince shallot and garlic and sweat for 7-1o minutes over low heat in 1/4 cup of the sunflower oil.
  2. Rough chop all herbs with a sharp knife.
  3. In a Vitamix, blend all ingredients until smooth.
  4. Store in a labeled airtight container, or use to marinate meat right away.

Procedure for shallot oil:

  1. In a small sauce pot, bring sunflower oil with shallot rings in it up to a simmer.
  2. Over medium-low heat, cook until shallots start to brown.
  3. Turn off, cool, and store in an airtight container.
  4. Leave the cooked shallot inside the oil as it will take on more flavors as it sits until ready to use.

Procedure for parmesan roasted cauliflower:

  1. Cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.
  2. In a mixing bowl, toss cauliflower with about 3 fluid ozs. of shallot oil until it is coated.
  3. On a sheet tray, roast in the oven at 400 F with high fan until starting to get golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese until coated.
  5. Roast at 400 F until the cauliflower and parmesan are golden brown. The cauliflower will be slightly darker than the parmesan crust.

Procedure for bearnaise sauce:

Bearnaise reduction:

  1. Pick the tarragon leaves from sprigs, save the sprigs, finely chop the leaves. Set aside.
  2. Add the vinegar, wine, shallot, cracked peppercorn and bay leaf to a sauce pan and set over medium heat.
  3. Bring the vinegar and wine solution to a strong simmer and cook until there is about 1 tbsp. of liquid remaining.
  4. Pass the reduced vinegar through a sieve and into a small metal mixing bowl. Press the liquid out of the shallots and herbs with the back of a spoon to squeeze out any extra liquid. We will make the Bearnaise sauce in this mixing bowl.

Clarified butter:

  1. Add 7 ozs. of butter to a small bain marie. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
  2. Place in steamer for about 10 minutes. Remove from steamer and place in refrigerator.
  3. Once cooled, heat outside of bain marie briefly with hot water in the sink, and pour off the buttermilk and wipe off the milk fat solids from the clarified butter with a paper towel.

Bearnaise Sauce:

  1. Add egg yolks to the bowl with Bearnaise reduction and whisk thoroughly until it has tripled in volume.
  2. Place a bowl over a sauce pot with barely simmering water in it.
  3. Continue whisking constantly until the mix is very pale and thick enough to leave ribbons on the top whenever you lift the whisk out of the mixture. This should take about 5 minutes if the pot is at a low simmer.
  4. Now that the egg mixture is ready, you can take the bowl off of the heat and slowly drizzle int he warm clarified butter with a ladle while whisking constantly. Make sure the butter is incorporated in small streams.
  5. When the sauce becomes very thick, whisk in a splash of warm water to thin down the emulsion. Continue doing this until you have incorporated all of the clarified butter. Keep in mind that you're going to add lemon juice to the sauce, so make sure that it's very tight at the time that you finish incorporating the clarified butter.
  6. Finish the Bearnaise sauce by whisking in chopped herbs, lemon juice, lemon zest, Cholula, black pepper, and sea salt.
  7. Taste and adjust for seasoning and tang. Serve right away or set it back over the warm water (without additional heat) to keep it warm. It is best served within one hour after finishing.

Procedure for Marchand du Vin Sauce:

  1. Melt two tablespoons of the butter in heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium heat.
  2. Sweat shallots and garlic thoroughly in this butter, until soft and fragrant, 5-7 mins.
  3. Add the fresh herbs (except chives), red wine blend, and bay leaf. Bring up to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the wine is reduced by about three quarters.
  4. Whisk in the demi-glace and continue cooking over medium heat until the sauce thickens.
  5. Simmer on low heat for 5-10 minutes and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
  6. Strain off the solids using a fine mesh sieve. Push the liquid out of the aromatics with a ladle to squeeze out any extra flavor and sauce.
  7. Finish by whisking in the remaining tablespoon of butter, aged red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and fresh chives.
  8. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately or cool and store in an airtight container. Flavor is best within 1-2 hours of finishing.

Procedure for Pecan-Grilled Beef Tenderloin Filets:

  1. In a mixing bowl, season beef tenderloin filets and herb oil with salt and pepper (24 hours before cooking, preferably).
  2. Once coated thoroughly in herb oil, place filets on a resting rack on a half hotel pan to store in refrigerator.
  3. When ready to grill, using a charcoal chimney (if possible), light all charcoal with lit cardboard under chimney.
  4. Wait 15 minutes until charcoal has turned white.
  5. Transfer hot charcoal to a charcoal grill, preferably where the grate is only about 3 in above the charcoal.
  6. Pour pecan wood chips on top of the hot bed of coals, evenly coating, and allow to flame until the wood chips have turned black. At this point, you are ready to grill.
  7. Place beef filets above grate over coals and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until nicely charged on the outside but still very rare for internal temperature.
  8. Whenever the desired char has been achieved, transfer beef filets to a half sheet tray with a resting rack. The filets are now ready to finish in the oven at your leisure whenever you are ready to compose your dish.

Procedure for Blanched Jumbo Asparagus:

  1. Bring pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
  2. Add jumbo asparagus spears.
  3. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the asparagus is just cooked and tender.
  4. Shock in ice bath to set the color.
  5. The asparagus is now ready to be rethermed at your leisure and coated with lemon basil vinaigrette for plate up.
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