This years’ brand new Christmas main has landed! You’ll love the simple but highly effective cooking technique used in this Roast Beef Tenderloin recipe for blushing pink meat from edge to edge. Slathered in garlic-thyme-butter and served with a dreamy mushroom sauce, to say it is delectable is an understatement. I hope you love it!

A beef tenderloin recipe – worthy and safe!

Beef tenderloin, also known as eye fillet, is one of the most expensive cuts of beef. It’s loved for how tender it is and because of the price, typically reserved for special occasions. So I really do not want to stuff it up, and I want to cook it in a way that is worthy of such a luxurious cut of meat!

So this method I’m sharing today is low risk, but yields exceptional results. It’s a proven method I also use for standing rib roast (prime rib), which has been a reader favourite for special occasions for years.

Here’s what you need to know about this recipe:

1. Method – Seared to brown the surface, slathered with garlic-thyme-butter then roasted in a low 120°C/250°F oven for 40 minutes.

2. The low temperature means the beef cooks evenly from edge to edge. At the typical 180°C/350°F, you get a thicker band of grey, overcooked meat. I can live with that for lamb leg, being a much larger piece of meat. Not for tenderloin – it’s smaller, which means the ratio of overcooked meat is higher!

3. Safer – Using a lower temperature also makes this recipe safer because it won’t go from perfect-to-overcooked in a minute like it does at higher temps.

4. Overnight salting – A recommended step for the absolute best results: Sprinkle beef with salt the night before and leave overnight in the fridge, uncovered. This will season the meat all the way through into the middle.

5. Premium v economy beef – While I typically only make beef tenderloin for special occasions and so I splurge on good beef, I also tried economical tenderloin and was so impressed with the results. However, you need to trim and tie it yourself. In doing so, you can save ~70%. See the Economical Beef section below.

6. Creamy mushroom sauce – A special creamy mushroom sauce, an elevated version of the everyday mushroom sauce I use midweek, made using every drop of the precious pan drippings. There’s little drippings from tenderloin compared to other beef, so choosing the right sauce is important. More on the sauce below.

About The Creamy Mushroom Sauce

One of the reasons it’s taken me years to publish a beef tenderloin recipe was the sauce conundrum. Beef tenderloin needs a sauce that is worthy (this is an expensive meat!). If I had my way, I’d ask you to make homemade beef stock so we can serve this with a red wine sauce because it’s so luxurious (recipe on page 327 of Dinner). But many readers wouldn’t, and you can’t make red wine sauce using carton stock (doesn’t have the gelatine so never thickens and it’s far too salty).

As for gravy? Unlike larger roasts, tenderloin doesn’t create enough pan drippings to make a good gravy. It’s too lean and too small.

So instead, I’ve chosen what I think is the best sauce for tenderloin – a mushroom sauce that’s made using every drop of flavour left in the pan from roasting. This sauce is Dreamy – with a capital D. 100% worthy of tenderloin!

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this roast beef tenderloin.

1. Centre-cut beef tenderloin (eye-fillet)

Beef tenderloin, also known as eye-fillet, is one of the most expensive cuts of beef that is prized for its tenderness. The best part of the beef tenderloin for roasting is the centre cut because it’s cut from the thick end of a long piece of meat that tapers like a tai, and it’s a relatively uniform shape so it roasts evenly.

It usually weighs between 1 – 1.25kg (2 – 2.5 lb) and if you pick one up from a quality butcher, it should be neatly trimmed and tied, as pictured (once I slathered in butter!).

The cost will range depending on the quality of the beef, but is typically around $40/kg from grocery stores up to $90/kg at good butchers ($20/lb – $45/lb).

Economical BEEF options

Beef tenderloin is cheaper if you get smaller roasts (~400-500g/14 – 17oz) which come from small beef tenderloins (lacks the impact of a big beef roast), if you get the tail end of beef tenderloin which tapers to a thin point, or if you have a whole tenderloin that you cut, trim and tie yourself (you can save 60-70%).

The whole tenderloin below was $30/kg from Harris Farms (currently discounted to $20/kg!), compared to $90/kg for the centre cut tenderloin pictured above (though note beef quality comes into play here too, see box below).

I’ve done a separate post on how to trim, cut and tie a whole tenderloin to make your own centre cut for roasting – see How to Trim and Cut Beef Tenderloin for Roasting.

Garlic-thyme-butter slather

This is what we slather onto the surface of the beef before roasting. By using softened butter rather than just pouring over melted butter you get a good amount of garlic sticking to the surface of the beef which is just all sorts of good!

Thyme – If you don’t have fresh thyme, substitute with 1/2 tsp dried thyme crushed in your fingers to make it a powder.

Creamy Mushroom Sauce for Roast Beef Tenderloin

Here’s what you need for the creamy mushroom sauce which is heavenly with the beef! The magic ingredient is Marsala, an Italian fortified wine that gives the sauce a gourmet flavour. You need something for beef tenderloin – because it doesn’t produce enough drippings to make a good gravy like you can do with lamb leg, or red wine sauce like I make for beef prime rib (standing rib roast) without using a homemade beef stock (carton stock just doesn’t cut it). I really tried, but it just lacked flavour!

• Marsala – As mentioned above, this is the ingredient that gives this sauce a gourmet edge. It’s an Italian fortified wine that you can pick up cheaply (I usually get Boronia Marsala $10 for a 750ml bottle though pictured below is a different brand), keeps “forever” and you need it to make the midweek beauty Chicken Marsala!

  Don’t have it? Use white wine instead. It doesn’t have the earthy flavour marsala has but it’s nevertheless still going to be a delicious sauce!

  For a non-alcoholic version, the best substitute is low sodium chicken stock.

• Mushrooms – I use white mushrooms because I like the colour in the sauce, but you can use Swiss Brown / Cremini mushrooms if you prefer.

• Garlic – Not too much actually, just 1/2 a teaspoon. We don’t want to overwhelm the whole dish with garlic flavour and there’s already quite a lot in the butter slather!

• Chicken stock/broth – Because it’s better than water.

• Cream – Because we’re making a creamy sauce. Use thickened / heavy cream because it’s thicker than ordinary cream.

• Thyme sprig – For a perfume of thyme flavour in the sauce without ending up with loads of little black specks in the sauce. Though, you can substitute with dried thyme if you have to. But, be warned – black specks!!

How to make Roast Beef Tenderloin

Roasting in a low 120°C/250°F oven is the key here which actually doesn’t take that long (just 40 minutes). This yields exceptional results with evenly cooked beef from edge to edge (no thick overcooked band you get from higher temps) makes this recipe shockingly straightforward and virtually risk-free. Because you’ve got a meat thermometer, right? Even a cheap $5 one from Kmart is better than winging it with a premium cut of beef like tenderloin!

** START THIS RECIPE THE NIGHT BEFORE by salting the beef. This does wonders to get seasoning into the flesh and to dry out the surface for a superior crust.

1. low-temp-roasting

1. Tied beef – If your beef is not tied, tie it with kitchen twine at 2.5cm / 1″ intervals. This will hold your beef together in a nice shape as it roasts. However, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t tie it! Your beef will just sort of sag a bit.

   Caveat – If you’re using an economical piece of tenderloin with flappy bits and the thin tail, tying is essential. See section above about preparing economical tenderloin.

2. Overnight salting (not deal breaker) – Pat the beef dry with paper towels, then sprinkle with salt and pepper all over. Place the beef on a rack on a tray then refrigerate uncovered overnight.

3. De- chill – Remove beef from the fridge 2 hours prior to remove some of the chill from the centre. This helps the beef cook more evenly by taking some of the chill out of the centre of the beef.

4. Butter Slather – Mix Butter Slather ingredients in a bowl.

5. Sear fast! Sear the surface of the beef all over in an ovenproof heavy based skillet on high heat (I use my 26cm / 10.2″ Lodge cast iron skillet). We want to do this step hard and fast, to minimise time on the stove so we minimise the thickness of the band of meat that becomes well done by then end of the roasting time!

6. Cool briefly – Then put the beef back on the rack to cool for 15 minutes. The purpose of this is so the butter doesn’t completely melt when you slather it on.

7. Slather 3/4 of the butter onto the beef – top and sides (not underside). Using softened rather than melted butter does wonders to make the garlic stick to the surface of the beef!

8. Slow roast 40 to 50 minutes – Transfer the beef into the skillet then roast for 15 minutes in a low 120°C/250°F oven (both fan and standard ovens). Then slather the remaining butter on and roast for a further 25 – 35 minutes (40 – 50 minutes total) or until the internal temperature is 53°C/127°F for medium rare. (See table in box above for other levels of doneness).

   Note: Typically, fan ovens are 20°C lower than standard for the same cooking speed. But at lower temperatures I find this not to be the case. Discovered this during 12 hour lamb testing!

9. Rest – Remove beef from the skillet and rest for 10 minutes. The internal temperature will rise to 56-58°C / 133-136°F which is medium rare.

   Note for roasting pros: It rises less than larger roasts (like a standing rib roast /prime rib which takes 1 1/2 hours in the oven) because it is not in the oven as long so the residual heat in the meat is less.

10. Slice thickly and serve with Creamy Mushroom Sauce!

HOW TO MAKE The mushroom sauce

As noted earlier, beef tenderloin does not create as much pan drippings as larger roasts with more fat. So we’re going to add a couple of extra steps and ingredients to make a beautiful sauce worthy of tenderloin without wasting a drop of flavour in the skillet!

What I do is use the butter / little amount of beef fat in the skillet to sauté the mushrooms, then all the meat juices as part of the stock for the sauce. The result? A dreamy mushroom sauce that’s worthy of any high-end steakhouse!

1. Roasting juices – Pour all the juices in skillet into a bowl, scraping out all the little bits of garlic.

2. Spoon off butter – Spoon or pour off 1/4 cup of the fat that rises to the top of the juices and pour it back into the skillet. Keep the rest of the juices/fat – we will add it into the sauce later.

3. Cook mushrooms – Turn the stove onto high. Once the butter is hot, add mushrooms and cook until they start to sweat. Then add thyme and garlic, and cook for a further 2 minutes until the mushrooms are softened.

4. Sauce – Add the chicken stock/broth and reduce by half. Then add the marsala, reduce by about half – this will cook out most of the alcohol. Then add the cream, pepper and all the remaining reserved roasting juices, including all the garlic bits (there’s lots of salt and flavour stuck in there).

5. Simmer on medium / medium high for 5 minutes until it reduces by half and the sauce is thickened to a thin syrupy consistency (it will thicken more as it cools in the time it takes to get from the pan to your plate). Taste – it should be slightly on the salty side (which will seem just right with each mouthful of beef). Add more salt if needed.

6. Transfer into a bowl with a spoon to serve with the beef!

What to serve with beef tenderloin

I actually shared the Brie Dauphinoise Potatoes on Monday with the intention of suggesting to serve it alongside this beef tenderloin. It’s worthy! Though, so is traditional no-brie Dauphinoise.

Also, from a practical perspective, it’s easy to time it. Make the Brie Dauphinoise first. Then cover to keep warm while you cook the beef. It’s a solid mass, it will stay warm while you’re roasting the beef.

While the beef is resting, pop the dauphinoise back in the oven to give it a 10 minute blast in the oven to re-warm the surface. Then voilà! Serve both hot and fresh.

More side suggestions

Few more classic roast beef side suggestions for you: Creamy Buttery Mashed Potato, Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic, Garlic Sautéed Spinach, Lemon Potato Salad. Or, have a browse of my vegetable sides recipe collection (it’s even sorted by vegetable), and more potato sides here. – Nagi x

PS Short note on leftovers: serve cold, thinly sliced, on rye with a smear of mustard, for the best roast beef sandwich you’ll make all year.

Watch how to make it

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Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Recipe video above. This recipe uses a simple but highly effective, low-risk slow-roasting technique for evenly cooked tenderloin that's blushing pink from edge to edge. No thick overcooked band!

A slather of garlic-thyme-butter gives the beef a tasty crust, and the drippings from roasting are used to make a magnificent creamy mushroom sauce.

Marsala, an Italian fortified wine you can pick up cheaply, is the secret ingredient in the sauce for a luxurious edge of flavour. But if you need to be alcohol free, see recipe notes.

Please get a meat thermometer to take the guess work out! It's far cheaper than the beef. (Note 4)PRO TIP: Season the beef the night before for best results. (Note 5)

Course Mains

Cuisine Western

Keyword beef eye fillet, beef tenderloin, Roast beef

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Overnight salting (optional, recommended) 2 hours hours

Servings 4 – 5 people

Calories 845cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Beef:

• 1 – 1.25kg/ 2 – 2.5lb centre cut beef tenderloin (eye fillet), tied (Note 1)
• 1 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Garlic-Thyme-Butter-Slather:

• 75g/ 5 tbsp unsalted butter , softened
• 1 tsp garlic , finely grated or very finely minced with a knife
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves , finely chopped (Note 2)
• 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Creamy mushroom sauce:

• 150g/5 oz white mushrooms , sliced 3mm thick
• 1/2 tsp garlic , finely minced
• 1 thyme sprig (Note 2)
• 3/4 cup marsala , Italian fortified wine (Note 3)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock , low sodium
• 3/4 cup thickened cream (heavy cream)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Prep beef – Pat beef dry with paper towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper all over. Place the beef on a rack on a tray then refrigerate uncovered 12 to 24 hours. (Can skip, Note 5)
• Butter Slather – Mix Butter Slather ingredients in a bowl.
• De-chill – Remove the beef from the fridge 2 hours prior to cooking. This helps the beef cook evenly.
• Sear – Heat oil in an ovenproof heavy based pan over high heat until smoking. (Note 6) Brown the surface of the beef all over, aggressively and quickly. Then put the beef back on the rack to cool for 15 minutes (so the butter doesn't instantly melt when you put it on).
• Preheat oven to 120°C/250°F (both fan and standard ovens) (Note 7).
• Butter – Put beef back in cooled skillet. Slather 3/4 of the butter onto the beef – top and sides (not underside).
• Roast 40 – 50 minutes – Roast for 15 minutes. Remove, slather remaining butter onto the top and sides. Roast for a further 25 – 35 minutes or until the internal temperature is 53°C/127°F for medium rare (Note 8 for other levels of doneness).
• Rest & serve – Remove beef from the skillet onto a cutting board and rest for 10 minutes. The internal temperature will rise 56-58°C / 133-136°F (this is medium rare). Slice thickly and serve with Creamy Mushroom Sauce!

Creamy mushroom sauce

• Roasting juices – Pour all juices in skillet into a bowl or jug. The fat will rise to the surface. Pour off 1/4 cup (60ml) of the fat back into the skillet (reserve the rest for later).
• Cook mushrooms – Turn the stove onto high. Once the butter is hot, add mushrooms and cook until they start to sweat. Then add thyme and garlic, and cook for a further 2 minutes until the mushrooms are softened.
• Sauce – Add chicken stock/broth and reduce by half. Add marsala, cream, pepper and remaining reserved roasting juices. Simmer on medium / medium high for 5 minutes until it reduces by half and the sauce is thickened. Taste – it should be slightly on the salty side (which will seem just right with each mouthful of beef). Add more salt if needed. Serve with beef.

Notes

1. Beef tenderloin – centre cut is the best part of the tenderloin for roasting. Thickest and even width so it cooks evenly. It’s best if tied so it holds its shape better, but not the end of the world if not. See in post about economical options. Smaller tenderloin works fine for this recipe but the roasting time will differ – just take it out when it reaches the target Pull Temperature (note 8).

You can save a lot by buying a whole beef tenderloin, trim and cut it yourself. See separate post for step by step here.

Beef quality – See the box in post about beef quality and price, grain v grass fed.

2. Thyme – Fresh is better than dried in this recipe. But you can substitute with 1/2 tsp dried thyme crushed in your fingers to make it a powder for the butter rub. Skip the thyme in the sauce (not as essential and dried will leave unsightly specks in the sauce).

3. Marsala is an Italian fortified wine (like port), you can get a 750ml/25oz bottles for $10 or less. No need to get an expensive one! Key flavouring – depth of flavour, complexity, warmth and touch of sweetness. Use dry marsala, not sweet (check label). Use leftover for Marsala chicken. Sub with port wine, sherry, or madeira, or white wine. For non alcoholic version, substitute with low sodium chicken stock/broth.

4. Meat thermometer – I use a Thermapen these days (read my thoughts here!) but before that I used this $10 one.

5. Overnight salting recommended for best results, seasons meat all the way through. If you don’t have time, skip this step. It’s still phenomenal! Read more in post about benefits of overnight salting.

6. Cooking vessel – I use my Lodge cast iron skillet, 26 cm / 10.5″.

7. Oven – Typically, fan ovens are 20°C lower than standard for the same cooking speed. But at lower temperatures I find this not to be the case. Discovered this during 12 hour lamb testing!

8. Internal temperature – Different levels of doneness. Medium rare is best! Be sure to take the beef out of the oven at the Pull Temperature.

Doneness	Pull Temp out of oven	Target Temp after rest
Rare	50°C/122°F	53°C/127.4°F
Medium rare (recommended)	53°C / 127.4°F	56-58°C / 133-136°F
Medium	56°C/133°F	60°C / 140°F
Medium well	60°C / 140°F	65°C / 149°F
Well done	Never!

9. Leftovers will keep for 3 days. Freezing not recommended.

Nutrition per serving, assuming all sauce is consumed.

Nutrition

Calories: 845cal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 72g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 27g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 213mg | Sodium: 934mg | Potassium: 810mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 930IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 5mg

Life of Dozer

The smell of roasting beef…..

The post A magnificent Roast Beef Tenderloin appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

If you buy a whole beef tenderloin (eye fillet) and trim and cut it yourself, you can save 60-70%+ on cost compared to buying a centre cut tenderloin from the butcher. This is a handy how-to post that accompanies the Roast Beef Tenderoin recipe I also published today.

Introduction

Beef tenderloin is a premium cut of beef, prized for how tender it is. If you buy a nice big centre-cut piece for roasting from a good quality butcher, you pay for the labour involved in trimming and preparing the beef, upwards of $90/kg ($45/lb). But you can save quite a lot by purchasing a whole untrimmed beef tenderloin. The untrimmed whole tenderloin pictured in this post is $36/kg full price ($18/lb) but is regularly on special at $20/kg (it’s from Harris Farms, a chain fresh produce store in Sydney.

So in this post, I’m walking through how to trim and cut a whole beef tenderloin to prepare it for roasting so you can make THIS! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

1. The whole beef tenderloin

This is what a whole beef tenderloin looks like. The thin end is like a tail, and the thick end has big flappy bits on the sides (yes, this is the professional terminology I use throughout this post).

The tenderloin pictured weighs 1.8 kg (3.5lb) and has been trimmed of excess fat (sometimes they come with a layer of fat covering the whole piece). But it still has the silver skin on it, which is the thin transparent layer than looks silver (hence the name), which we remove in step 2.

Economical whole beef tenderloin is typically sold in vac packs because it extends the shelf life which means it can be sold at a better price. It will be wet and slippery, so dry it off with paper towels so it’s easier to handle.

2. Removing the silver skin

The first thing I do is remove the silver skin. This thin membrane goes tough when cooked, and it also shrinks which warps the shape of the beef.

To remove the silver skin, just slide a small sharp knife under the silver skin. Then hold the skin up at a 45 degree angle with your left hand to hold it taut, then slide the knife towards the left underneath the silver skin. Keep the knife at a 45 degree angle to remove as little meat as possible.

Work in small sections about 1.25cm / 1/2″ wide at a time, for better control.

Keep going until all the silver skin is removed, and don’t forget to get the bits between the crevices of the flappy bits at the thick end!

3. Tidy the surface

Tidy the surface, removing scruffy little bits and making it as smooth as possible, as pictured above. But minimise the beef you trim off as much as possible!

4. The centre cut for roasting

The best part for roasting is the thick middle part which is called the centre cut. It’s the most desirable because it’s the widest part (we like our roasts hefty!) and it’s even in shape which means the meat cooks evenly.

In contrast, the tail end is not ideal for roasting (without folding and tying) because the thin end will cook much faster than the wider part.

The photo above shows the centre cut of the tenderloin. The goal is just to get the widest part in the centre that’s relatively even thickness.

You can go a little further up the thicker end to get a larger piece, between the big flappy ends (trim them off, to keep the roast neat).

5. tying the roast

If you buy a centre-cut from a good butcher, it will come tied. It’s best to tie because it holds the meat together as it roasts so it keeps a nice shape and holds everything taut, rather than sort of sagging and flattening.

5. yield

The centre cut will be around 40 – 45% of the total weight of a whole beef tenderloin. So, as an example, I was able to get a 800g / 1.6lb centre cut from the 1.8kg / 3.5lb tenderloin pictured in this post which will feed 3 – 4 people.

It’s a little smaller than the 1kg/2lb weight I typically aim for when making a roast. To get a 1kg/2lb centre-cut, you’d need a 2.25-2.5kg / 4.5 – 5lb whole beef tenderloin.

6. More roasting pieces – thin and flappy end

Though the most desirable and sought-after part of the beef tenderloin is the centre-cut, there is by no means any reason why you can’t use the tail and fat end for roasting too simply by tying them up and making smaller roasts.

In the photo above, I’ve tied up the tail end and make it relatively even thickness by tucking the thin pointy tail under. Though very small at just 300g, it’s still roast-able!

The fat end can also be tied and roasted. I even tie the flappy bits in – it sort of adheres as it roasts so the roast mostly holds together when you remove the string later to slice.

Stir fry the scraps!

Any smaller off cuts are ideal to use for stir fries, so keep them and freeze if necessary! Tenderloin is great for stir fries, like everybody’s favourite Beef & Broccoli stir fry or a classic Beef Stir Fry. Slice thinly, fry up in a hot pan for just 1 1/2 minutes, taken them out (so they don’t overcook). Then stir fry the other vegetables and/or noodles if using, add your sauce then toss the beef back in right at the end.

For those of you familiar with tenderising beef for stir fries – there is no need to do that for tenderloin, it’s so tender! Just be sure not to overcook it (hence why I cook the beef first then add it back in later).

Hope you found this post useful! You really can make substantial cost savings by trimming your own beef tenderloin.

Now – make the Roast Beef Tenderloin with a dreamy creamy mushroom sauce! It’s easy and an absolute stunner, perfect for special occasions. – Nagi x

Life of Dozer

Last year I made the mistake of putting Gingerbread Men decorations on the tree within Dozer reach (I know, what was I thinking? 🤦🏻‍♀️). This year, I keep catching him snuffling around thinking I’m going to make the same mistake again….

The post Cut your own beef tenderloin – it’s so much cheaper appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This is an authentic Indian curried beef mince recipe called Qeema (or keema or kheema). It’s a gem of a find because it tastes incredible but unlike many Indian dishes, there are no hard-to-find spices in the ingredients. And it’s super fast – on the table in 20 minutes! 

Qeema – Quick & Easy Indian Curried Beef Mince

This recipe is an excellent way to get an Indian food fix without having to hunt down hard-to-find Indian spices.

It’s also an excellent way to change up your usual rotation of beef mince recipes. Spag Bol, we love you, but sometimes it’s nice to try something new!!

And new this is. You probably haven’t seen Qeema on Indian restaurant menus because it’s a home cooking meal. But blimey, it’s a great find! 100% legit Indian flavours, 7 minute prep, 13 minute cook. Get all the spices from regular grocery stores – turmeric, garam masala, cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper.

What you need for Qeema

The key to achieving the bold, authentic Indian curried beef flavour in this quick ‘n easy recipe is a good amount of fresh garlic and ginger, and a generous amount of ground spices.

Here’s what you need:

• Beef mince – That’s ground beef to those of you in the States! I’m using lean today, but regular is fine (fattier – juicier). I also made this recipe a few years ago using chicken mince which was terrific.

• Fresh garlic and ginger – Key to flavour in this otherwise simple Indian dish, so don’t skip these.

• Spices – Garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper. You can get all these at regular grocery stores here in Australia. Garam masala is an Indian spice mix which I tell people is the “better curry powder” because it tastes more legit, whereas the curry powders you get at regular grocery stores are very Westernised.

• Fresh coriander/cilantro for garnish. (Skip if you’re not a coriander fan).

• Green cayenne pepper (optional garnish) – This is for garnish, and it adds fresh chilli flavour without much spiciness because cayenne peppers are not that spicy. But it’s entirely optional, so feel free to omit!

How to make Qeema

1. Sauté – Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 30 seconds until golden, don’t let it burn! Add onion and cook for 1 minute until it is starting to turn translucent.

2. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it changes from pink to light brown. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT water. Cook for a further 2 minutes to let the spices bloom.

3. Cook 10 minutes – Add water, give it a stir, then put a lid on (or cover with a baking tray if you don’t have a lid for your pan). Turn heat down to medium and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated, but still a bit juicy.

4. Serve over with basmati rice or plain white rice, garnished with extra chilli and coriander/cilantro, and lots of Mint Yogurt. Naan or flatbreads would make it even better, though if time is not your friend, try frozen roti (pictured in post, more on this below the photo).

What to serve with Qeema

Serve over basmati rice and mint yogurt or plain yogurt (recipe below for mint yogurt). Then mix up the beef into the rice so it flavours the rice, then dig in!

It’s also pictured above with flaky, buttery roti which I stuffed with the Qeema and rice. Not homemade. I always have a stash of frozen ones which you can get at regular grocery stores. I love them because they can be cooked from frozen in a few minutes – how good is that! Ideal to use for any and all Indian / South East Asian saucy foods, like curries.

Though, if I have the time (or foresight to plan in advance), you can’t beat homemade naan. 😊

For vegetable sides, try one of these:

• Indian Tomato Salad with Mint Raita Dressing

• South Indian Carrot & Cabbage Salad with Coconut is fresh and popping with flavours – love the coconut flavour in this!

• Give this Everyday Cabbage Salad an Indian spin by sautéing garlic and cumin seeds in oil before mixing up with other Dressing ingredients.

Indian Tomato Salad with Mint Dressing

Cabbage & Carrot Thoran-style Indian Salad

Everyday Cabbage Salad

I really hope you try this Qeema recipe, the flavour is so authentic! Something a little different to make with that packet of beef mince you threw in your shopping trolley on the weekend. – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Qeema Indian Curried Beef

An authentic Indian spiced ground (minced) beef recipe known as Qeema (or keema or kheema). This is a gem of a recipe because it tastes incredible but unlike many Indian dishes, there are no hard-to-find spices in the ingredients. And it's super fast – on the table in 20 minutes!

Serve over basmati rice. Great with plain yogurt, even better with Mint Yogurt.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Indian

Keyword beef mince curry, curried beef, queema

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 255cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil , or other neutral oil
• 4 tsp ginger , finely mince
• 5 large garlic cloves , minced (about 4 tsp)
• 1 large onion , finely diced
• 500g / 1 lb beef mince (ground beef)
• 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper or chilli powder (pure, not US chili powder spice mix), omit for not spicy
• 1 1/4 tsp garam masala (Note 1)
• 1 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1 1/4 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 cup water

Garnish

• 1 green cayenne pepper , deseeded, finely sliced
• Cilantro/coriander leaves
• Plain yogurt or Mint yogurt (below)

Mint yogurt (optional, pictured in post)

• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup (lightly packed) mint leaves
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

Instructions

• Sauté – Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 30 seconds until golden, don't let it burn! Add onion and cook for 1 minute until it is starting to turn translucent.
• Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it changes from pink to light brown. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT water. Cook for a further 2 minutes to let the spices bloom.
• Cook 10 minutes – Add water, give it a stir, then put a lid on (or cover with a baking tray). Turn heat down to medium and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated.
• Serve over with basmati rice or plain white rice, garnished with extra chilli and coriander/cilantro, and lots of Mint Yogurt. Naan or flatbreads would make it even better, though if time is not your friend, try frozen roti (pictured in post, Note 3).

Mint yogurt

• Blitz then stir – Put just 1/4 cup of the yogurt with the mint leaves and salt in a jug just big enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blitz until mint is very finely chopped. Then stir in remaining yogurt. (Note 4) Refrigerate until required.

Notes

Recipe credit – very slightly adapted from this Indian Queema Minced Beef by Scrambled Chefs.

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1. American “Chili Powder” is not pure ground chilli, it contains other spices like paprika and is not very spicy. This recipe calls for pure ground chilli for spiciness, or cayenne pepper.

2. Garam Masala – Spice mix used in Indian cooking, a more legit curry powder. Sold at regular grocery stores in Australia -> Coles, Woolworths, Harris Farms.

3. Roti – Flaky Indian round flatbread that’s sold in the freezer section of large grocery stores these days. Love them because they’re so handy – cook from frozen on the stove in just a couple of minutes. Cheap, tasty, if you’ve never tried it, it’s a game changer! 🙂

4. Mint yogurt – Blitzing makes yogurt watery. So just blitz the minimum to puree the mint, then stir the rest in which thickens the sauce up again.

5. Leftovers keep for 3 – 4 days in the fridge, or freezer for 3 months.

Nutrition for beef only, not including rice or yogurt sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 172g | Calories: 255cal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 525mg | Potassium: 517mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 217IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 4mg

First published April 2016. Republished 7 years later with sparkling new photos, brand new recipe video (couldn’t make them back then!) and of course added a Life of Dozer section!

My easiest Indian recipes

More easy Indian recipes!

Butter Chicken

One-pan Baked Butter Chicken

Oven Baked Tandoori Chicken

Naan recipe – chewy & fluffy!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Beef Biryani

Chickpea Curry with Potato (Chana Aloo Curry)

Indian Recipes

Life of Dozer

He doesn’t realise it’s a vegetable platter. (Yet).

The post Qeema – Easy Indian Curried Beef Mince appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This is a beef pasta cooked with Italian seasonings in a creamy tomato sauce. The epitome of easy homemade comfort food with the convenience of one-pot cooking!

One Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta

I’m quite selective about one-pot pasta recipes. I only use it for saucy pastas, like today’s. It just doesn’t work properly with less saucy pastas, like Puttanesca and pesto pasta, because there’s not enough liquid to cook the pasta evenly.

So, any one-pot pasta recipe you see here on my website is saucy and oozy.

I’ve never heard any complaints. Everybody loves sauce!

Today’s is a beef pasta that comes with a creamy tomato sauce. It’s essentially a variation of Bolognese, with Italian seasonings plus a dash of cream. Total crowd pleaser!

Proof of ooziness:

Ingredients in this One Pot Beef Pasta

Following on from my introduction about the sauciness of one pot pastas, it will be no surprise when I say that the key to cooking one pot pasta recipes is to have plenty of liquid that the pasta can absorb! Dried pasta absorbs more than double its own weight in liquid as it cooks. Today, we use 4 cups of stock plus a can of tomato for 360g/12 ounces of pasta.

• Beef mince (ground beef) – I use lean here (90% or 95%) but any fat % will do. Actually, the fattier the beef, the beefier the flavour – because fat is where all the flavour is! If you mix, say, lamb fat into very lean beef mince and cook it up, you’d swear you’re eating lamb.

• Chicken stock/broth – The cooking liquid of choice. Tastier than water! I use the liquid cartons regularly in my cooking so I stock up when it’s on sale. For an economical option, I recommend using Vegeta stock powder or Chinese chicken stock powder (Knorr) plus water. I prefer the flavour of these over other Western stock powders.

• Pasta type – I used the spirals (fusilli), but other similar sized short pastas will work just fine too. Penne, ziti, elbow macaroni, shells. Avoid the really small pastas like risoni/orzo, tiny stars etc. If using long pasta, it’s easiest to break in half. You can also use a little more – increase up to about 400g/14oz.

• Cream – Just 3/4 cup, stirred in right at the end transforms a normal tomato sauce into a creamy tomato sauce! You really do only need 3/4 cup to get the flavour and colour impact of the creaminess.

• Garlic and onion – Essential flavour base.

• Tomato paste and canned tomato – Tomato paste gives a boost to the tomato flavour as well as thickening the sauce a touch.

• Italian herbs – Seasoning! I use a store bought mix, it’s a staple in the dried herbs and spices aisle at any grocery store and doesn’t cost any more than other dried herbs. If you don’t have it, use any mix of dried oregano, basil and parsley. Or, a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Just something to add flavour.

• Red pepper flakes (chilli flakes) – 100% optional. I like to add a tiny touch of warmth into this to keep things interest but you can just leave it out if you prefer!

How to make One Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta

Don’t be alarmed by how saucy it is at the end as you take it off the stove, that’s exactly what you want. Pasta absorbs liquid really quickly, so by the time you ladle into bowls, garnish with parmesan, put the bowls on the table, yell at everyone to sit down then start eating, the pasta will go from a little bit too soupy to the perfect level of ooziness.

1. Cook beef – Sauté the garlic and onion. Then add the beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you no longer see red.

2. Toast seasoning – Add the Italian herbs then cook for 30 seconds. This really brings out the flavour of the herbs and spices, and improves the flavour by toasting it. Then add the tomato paste and stir for a minute. This cooks out the rawness and also improves the flavour.

3. Add liquids and pasta – Add the stock, canned tomato, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir, then add the pasta.

4. Cook 15 minutes – Once the liquid comes back up to a simmer, cook for 15 minutes until the pasta is just about cooked. Stir every couple of minutes at the start then more regularly towards the end to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick to the base of the pot. As you cook, the liquid will reduce and thicken but should still be soupier than you’d expect.

5. Cream it! Stir in the cream, bring it back up to a simmer then keep cooking for another minute until the pasta is fully cooked. It should still be slightly soupier than you think!

6. Serving – Remove from the stove, then give it a good stir and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with parmesan and a little parsley if using, then devour!

   As noted at above, pasta absorbs liquid quite quickly so it will go from a little too soupy to perfect ooziness in the time it takes between taking it off the stove and eating it. In any case, saucier is better than dry. Nobody wants a mound of gluey, stodgy pasta!!!

YUM. That’s a bowl of food that is 100% me. It’s not fancy. It’s fuss free to make. It’s hearty and cosy and easy and rustic and full of flavour.

I know it’s a cliche to say “it’s me on a plate”, but it really is. (Well, bowl).

Love to know what you think if you try it! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

One pot creamy tomato beef pasta

Recipe video above. This is a beefy pasta cooked with Italian seasonings in a creamy tomato sauce. Epitome of homemade comfort food with the convenience of one-pot cooking! Love how the pasta absorbs the flavour of the sauce.

For more, see the full One Pot Pasta recipe collection.

Course Mains

Cuisine Italian, Western

Keyword beef pasta, creamy tomato beef pasta, easy pasta dinner, One Pot Pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 – 5 people

Calories 610cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 500g/ 1 lb beef mince / ground beef
• 2 tsp Italian herbs (Note 1)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 400g/ 14 oz can crushed tomatoes (or tomato passata)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (chilli flakes, optional)
• 1 1/2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 cups (1 L) chicken stock/broth , low sodium (Note 2)
• 350g/ 12oz fusilli, penne, elbow macaroni or other short pasta (Note 3)
• 3/4 cups thickened / heavy cream

Serving:

• Parmesan cheese , finely grated
• Parsley , finely chopped, optional

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Sauté – Heat the oil on high heat in a large heavy-based pot. Cook garlic and onion for 1 1/2 minutes.
• Cook beef & seasonings – Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you can no longer see red meat. Add the Italian herbs and cook for 30 seconds, then add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to cook out the raw flavour.
• All in – Add crushed tomato, chicken stock, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir, then add the pasta.
• Cook 15 min – Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cook for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes then more frequently towards the end (ensure pasta doesn't stick to base) until the pasta is just about cooked.
• Creamy – Add cream, then simmer for a further 1 to 2 minutes. It will still be quite saucy – this is what you want! Pasta absorbs liquid quickly, so it will still be nice and oozy when you start eating.
• Serve – Remove from the stove. Give it a good stir then ladle into bowls. Serve with parmesan and parsley.

Notes

1. Italian Herbs – Just a store bought mix, very common at grocery stores. If you don’t have any, just use a mix of dried oregano, parsley, basil. Or sub with a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.

2. Chicken stock/broth – Tastier than water! I stock up when on sale. Economical alternative – I recommend using Vegeta stock powder (info here – I use it regularly) or Chinese chicken stock powder (Knorr) plus water. I prefer the flavour of these over other Western stock powders. 

3. Any short pasta will work here, like macaroni, penne etc but not tiny ones like risoni/orzo. If using long pasta, easiest to break in half and you can cook about 400g/14oz (a little more than short pasta).

4. Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Not suitable for freezing.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings using 90% lean beef.

Nutrition

Calories: 610cal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 988mg | Potassium: 1013mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 868IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 5mg

Life of Dozer

I caught him snuffling a tub of rice in the pantry so he was made to walk around with a sticker of shame. (Raw rice grains. I think there was a smear of sauce on the tub. It can surely be the only explanation).

The post One pot creamy tomato beef pasta appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.