Beef Medallions with Caramelized Pan Sauce

See how to make an elegant beef tenderloin dish that’s surprisingly quick and eas See more

READY IN 35 mins

Beef Medallions with Caramelized Pan Sauce

Read Reviews (12)

"This is one of those dishes that unless someone watched you make it, they'd never believe how fast and simple it is to prepare. By the way, this wonderful sauce would work just as well with pork, veal, or chicken." — Chef John

Directions

Season beef medallions with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over high heat. Cook beef until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove beef to a warm plate.
Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir mushrooms, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, olive oil, and a pinch of salt in the skillet until mushrooms are very well browned, about 10 minutes.
Mix in tomato sauce; cook and stir until tomato sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
Pour in Marsala wine and increase heat to high. Cook, scraping browned bits from bottom of skillet. Once most of the wine has evaporated, stir in broth and bring to a boil; cook and stir until broth mixture has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and return beef to broth mixture; simmer until beef is cooked to medium-rare, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer beef to serving plates.
Remove skillet from heat. Cook and stir 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and oregano into the sauce until butter melts. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Spoon sauce over beef and serve immediately.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 5 mins
COOK 30 mins
READY IN 35 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

May 23, 2012

This was so delicious! The local grocery store didn't have beef tenderloin so I made with pork loin instead. The pan sauce is super easy and tastes like a 5 star restaurant sauce. Made for Mother's Day and mom loved it!

—cattiemmv

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 25, 2012

Too salty!!

—Kristier

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13 Ratings

Jun 13, 2012

Made this exactly as directed (great video, btw), except... I *forgot* to throw in the fresh oregano at the end - darn it. I wasn't sure I would like the tomato sauce in this but it came out delicious! I'll definitely be making this again, including for company. Thanks for sharing this recipe - YUM.

—ren1216

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Jul 11, 2012

This is definitely a special occasion meal. Having to buy a specialty bottle of wine to make the sauce is worth it, but hard on the budget for a weekday meal. I increased the recipe to 6 and had to use two pans, a bummer. This also seemed to increase the "carmelization" time of everything. The recipe took much longer than expected, but it came out perfect. Next time I will invest in higher end cuts of meat (I did not use tenderloin) and the texture will be perfect too!

—Rachel

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Nov 17, 2012

Great dish. I didn't have Marsala so subbed Cabernet Sauvignon and thought I had tomato sauce but didn't so used a lesser amount of BBQ sauce. End result was yummy. And it was so easy. Would def. make again & would make for family dinner or special occasion.

—Regina

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Sep 24, 2012

Excellent

—superman

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Sep 02, 2012

This is an outstanding recipe, and it works with Marsala as well as a good cabernet (ie: Powdered Keg). I have prepared this recipe several times, each scenario with grass-fed beef, and with incredible success. Why go to a steakhouse when you can have something of this caliber so easily made in your own kitchen. My husband does not typically like mushrooms, yet he has repeatedly told me that this dish is "outstanding!"

—1GoodCooker

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Jan 28, 2013

I don't know what I did wrong. Mine didn't look like Chef John's. I won't rate this because I think I deserve all of the blame. It wasn't a failure, just a lot of work for beef tenderloins, which we have all the time. Chef John is the best...his recipes are reliable, all of the time, which is why I think I fouled this one up! Since this website demands that I rate the recipe in order to post, I will.

—Chas

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Nutrition

Calories
567 kcal
28%

Carbohydrates
6 g
2%

Cholesterol
136 mg
45%

Fat
41.5 g
64%

Fiber
0.8 g
3%

Protein
35.8 g
72%

Sodium
678 mg
27%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Beef Medallions with Caramelized Pan Sauce

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 567
Calories from Fat: 374

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 41.5g 64 %
** Saturated Fat 16.3g 81 %
** Cholesterol 136mg 45 %
Sodium 678mg 27 %
** Potassium 734mg 21 %
Total Carbohydrates 6g 2 %
** Dietary Fiber 0.8g 3 %
Protein 35.8g 72 %
** Sugars 3.7g
Vitamin A 7 %
Vitamin C 6 %
Calcium 3 %
** Iron 48 %
** Thiamin 20 %
** Niacin 100 %
** Vitamin B6 37 %
** Magnesium 16 %
** Folate 10 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.