The spinach and onion smelled so fantastic that I could have probably just eaten that and been good to go. But then the Parmesan and tomato really pulled it all together. This stuffing was so delicious and could easily be used for any meat recipe needing a filling.
3 lbs. beef tenderloin
12 oz. fresh spinach
2 medium onions
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
1 large Roma tomato
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Grate cheese, dice tomato, remove seeds, and set aside.
Mince onions and sauté with oil until golden brown.
Add spinach, salt and pepper to onions and stir until spinach is wilted.
Take spinach/onion mix, cheese and tomato and stir together.
Cut down the center of the tenderloin and evenly stuff with spinach mix.
Take string and tie tenderloin closed every two inches.
Bake in the oven for one hour.
I know that seems like a lot of spinach there on your counter once you lay it all out, but I promise you, it deflates. And even though you’re going to want to throw some extra olive oil in the pan because you’ve convinced yourself there isn’t enough liquid left after those onions drank it all up, fight the urge. Trust me. The spinach will have some major condensation going on once it hits the hot pan.
Tre: What’s with all the onion photos?
Me: Well, when I was young… okay, just a few years ago, I didn’t know how to mince onions so I thought I would do a play-by-play for others who don’t know how to mince onions.
Tre: … Um… Ooooh-kaaaay.
Me: Whatever. We’re not all born Italian! She was probably mincing onions in the womb.
So here is how I do it. Slide the onions toward you, put one hand on the knife and the other on the top of the blade and make short quick cuts until you finish a 90-degree angle. Like a quarter of a pie. Then start again and continue this pattern until all onions are minced. See, helpful! No? … Whatever.
Unlike your hostess with the mostess, make sure to tie the strings two inches apart on the tenderloin and not three to four like I might have done and where you might find here photographic evidence. If you don’t, your beef will explode. And who likes exploding beef? I suppose a lion would but I don’t have one of those handy.
I have it listed at an hour to be on the safe side and because I don’t like my meat to look and taste flesh-y. But if you’re the rare type, you can change this time to ten minutes less. Just don’t come looking for me if your meat starts to moo. I don’t speak cow.
And before we go any further I have to warn you about something. I seem to have the knack for editing photos so that I look extra old. After the edits, my hands turned geriatric. And suddenly I grew veins. Big ones. The hospital nurses would be ecstatic. Yes, my upper extremities are those that normally need small gauged needles intended for infants. Now all I have to do is cut up vegetables right before a nurse sticks me and we’re golden.
