It's Beef Week at Dinners for a Year -- Tenderloin Steaks with Espresso-Bourbon Sauce

I love beef. From a thick, juicy burger on the grill to a quick meal of beef and broccoli stir fry, a dinner including beef is very satisfying. I have teamed up with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association to post some lean beef recipes from their Beef It's What's for Dinner website and will blog about my family's Week of Beef.

Typically, beef has gotten a bad rap as far as being a healthy choice for dinner. Common complaints include:

"It contains too much fat."

"I can feel my arteries clogging already."

"I don't want to eat all those calories."

Actually, beef contributes to good health by providing many important nutrients. Today, beef is leaner than ever before. It fits within the guidelines for a healthy diet that is low in saturated fat. There are 29 cuts of beef that meet government guidelines for lean. Included on the list are many familiar cuts including flank steak, sirloin steak, and ground beef.

The first recipe I prepared for dinner this week was Tenderloin Steaks with Espresso-Bourbon Sauce. I am sure the first thing that comes to mind is that beef tenderloin is too expensive for a weeknight meal. My local grocery store regularly has beef tenderloin on sale, and I picked up just over a 4 pound tenderloin for about $25. I will be able to prepare at least 2 dinners my family of 5 and a few lunches for my husband from this sized beef tenderloin.

Beef tenderloin, either whole or cut in steaks, is a quick meal to prepare. Tenderloin Steaks with Espresso-Bourbon Sauce takes less than a half hour to prepare. With about 250 calories per serving and 3 grams of saturated fat, this recipe is an excellent source of protein, niacin, and zinc and a good source of iron. We also had sweet potatoes mashed with a little brown sugar and blasted garlic broccoli for dinner to add a couple servings of vegetables loaded vitamins K, C, and A as well as folate and fiber.

The sauce was the first part of the recipe to prepare. It came together very quickly with most ingredients already in my pantry.

As the sauce reduced, I prepped the steaks with a few grinds of pepper and grilled them them for about 6 to 7 minutes per side for medium rare. With the sweet potatoes mashed and the blasted broccoli ready, dinner was served.

We are a family of beef lovers and beef tenderloin is high on our list of favorites. This recipe received our highest rating as one that we would want to have again.

"The steak is so tender," said My Middle One.

The sweet and slightly salty sauce was delicious drizzled over the steaks.

"This steak is so good, I could just eat the steaks without the sauce," said my husband.

Then he proceeded to pour more of the thick, rich sauce over his steak.

The sauce added a smokey, sweet and slightly teriyaki flavor to the steaks that the rest of us agreed would be delicious on other cuts of beef. I will be making the Bourbon-Espresso sauce in the future. My only change to the recipe will be to double the recipe so I can store some in my refrigerator.

This recipe is one to get the family back to the dinner table. No need to take the family to a steakhouse. This recipe brings steakhouse quality and flavor right to your table.

Tenderloin Steaks with Espresso-Bourbon Sauce

from the website Beef It's What's for Dinner

4 beef tenderloin steaks, cut 1 inch thick (about 4 ounces each)
2 to 4 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper

Espresso-Bourbon Sauce:
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all sauce ingredients, except pepper, in small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered 12 to 15 minutes or until sauce is thickened and reduced by about half, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper. Keep warm.

Meanwhile press coarsely cracked pepper on both sides of beef steak. Place steaks on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 13 to 15 minutes for medium rare, turning once.

Evenly divide sauce onto 4 plates. Place steak on top of sauce.

Alternately, the steaks can be broiled for 13 - 16 minutes for medium-rare to medium, turning once.


Stayed tuned for 2 more lean beef recipes followed by a BIG giveaway at the end of the week.