A friend called me this morning in a bit of a panic over what to serve tonight for a cozy New Year’s Eve dinner for four. Seems her husband decided at the last minute to invite another couple over for the evening, and rather than trying to figure out where to hide his body, she was putting her energy into actually creating a meal. This is the recipe I emailed her — it’s easy but impressive. Round things out with your favorite potato dish and a really good red wine and you’ve got a delicious menu.

Recipe: Beef: Beef Tenderloin with Thyme & Salsa Verde
Ask your butcher to trim and tie your tenderloin for more even cooking

1 (3lb.) beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied

Marinade:
¾ cup olive oil
1 Tblsp dried thyme
1 Tblsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a Ziploc bag and marinate 6-8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Season the beef lightly with salt and roast for 15 minute. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and roast for an additional 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the tenderloin reads 130 F for medium rare. Allow the beef to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into 1 ½ inch steaks.

Salsa Verde
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tblsp capers, chopped
2 Tblsp chopped shallots
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
salt and fresh black pepper

Combine all ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Set aside for 1 hour to let flavors develop. Spoon over steaks.

Wine Pairing:Reach for your best Cabernet Sauvignon for this dish. Here’s one I recently really enjoyed:

MontGras 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Valley Viña Ninquén ($47). Full-bodied, with concentrated blackberry and black plum fruit accented with aromatic mocha, toast and fresh herbal notes that linger on the focused, lingering finish. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area.