Main course · Roast for two
Chateaubriand
A chateaubriand is a thick piece cut from the centre of the beef tenderloin, 6–8 cm / 2½–3 in thick and about 400–600 g / 14–21 oz, seared, finished in the oven, sliced at the table and shared by two. It is pulled at 50–52 °C / 122–126 °F for medium-rare and classically served with béarnaise sauce or a reduced white-wine Chateaubriand sauce.
At a glance
- Cut
- Thick centre of the tenderloin
- Weight
- 400–600 g / 14–21 oz, for two
- Thickness
- 6–8 cm / 2½–3 in
- Pull (medium-rare)
- 50–52 °C / 122–126 °F
- Classic sauce
- Béarnaise or Chateaubriand sauce
The centre of the fillet
The tenderloin is a long, tapering muscle with a thick head, an even centre and a thin tail. The chateaubriand comes from the centre, where the muscle is widest and most regular, so a single piece cooks evenly from end to end. French butchers cut it as one thick block rather than as individual steaks; in the United States and the United Kingdom the same piece is often sold as a centre-cut fillet roast.
Because the tenderloin does almost no work, it has very little connective tissue and almost no marbling: it is the most tender cut of the animal and among the mildest in flavour. That is why the classic service pairs it with a rich sauce, and why it must not be cooked past medium, which dries a lean muscle quickly.
A name from 1822, or so it is told
The dish is named after François-René de Chateaubriand, the French writer and diplomat. According to the account repeated in Larousse Gastronomique, his cook, Montmireil, created it while Chateaubriand was ambassador in London around 1822. Early versions were cut from the sirloin and grilled between two thinner steaks that were thrown away, so that the centre stayed pink; by the late nineteenth century the name had settled on the thick centre of the fillet. The spelling châteaubriant, after the town in Brittany, appears in some old menus.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Centre-cut beef tenderloin | 1 piece, 400–600 g / 14–21 oz | 6–8 cm / 2½–3 in thick, trimmed of silverskin |
| Fine salt | 1 % of the weight, 4–6 g | The day before if possible |
| Neutral oil | 1 tbsp | For searing |
| Butter | 30 g / 1 oz | For basting |
| Thyme and garlic | 2 sprigs, 2 cloves | Optional, for basting |
| Shallots | 2, finely chopped | For the Chateaubriand sauce |
| Dry white wine | 150 ml / ⅔ cup | Sauce |
| Veal or beef stock, reduced | 200 ml / ¾ cup | Sauce; demi-glace if available |
| Cold butter, tarragon, lemon | 40 g / 1½ oz, 1 tbsp chopped, a few drops | Sauce |
Method
- Tie the piece with kitchen string every 3 cm / 1¼ in so it keeps its round shape. Salt it, ideally the day before, and leave it uncovered in the fridge; take it out 30 minutes before cooking.
- Heat the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F. In an ovenproof pan, sear the meat in the oil over high heat on all sides, ends included, 6–8 minutes in total.
- Add the butter, thyme and garlic, and baste for one minute. Transfer the pan to the oven.
- Roast until a thermometer in the centre reads 50–52 °C / 122–126 °F for medium-rare, usually 12–20 minutes for 400–600 g. Turn it once halfway.
- Rest the meat on a rack for 8–10 minutes; the centre will rise to about 54–56 °C / 129–133 °F.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce in the same pan: soften the shallots in the fat, add the wine and reduce by two thirds, add the stock and reduce by half, then off the heat whisk in the cold butter, the tarragon and the lemon.
- Remove the string, slice the meat into 2 cm / ¾ in slices across the grain, and serve with the sauce or with béarnaise.
Pull temperatures
| Doneness | Pull at | After resting |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 46–48 °C 115–118 °F | 50–52 °C 122–126 °F |
| Medium-rare | 50–52 °C 122–126 °F | 54–56 °C 129–133 °F |
| Medium | 55–57 °C 131–135 °F | 59–61 °C 138–142 °F |
Sauces and sides
The two classic sauces are béarnaise, an emulsion of butter and egg yolk flavoured with tarragon and shallot, and the Chateaubriand sauce above, a reduction of white wine and veal stock finished with butter and tarragon. Bordelaise, with red wine and bone marrow, and a simple peppercorn sauce are common alternatives.
The traditional garnish is pommes château, small potatoes trimmed into barrel shapes and roasted in butter, with green beans or a watercress salad. For larger tables, the same method scales up to the whole tenderloin roast; wrapped in mushroom duxelles and puff pastry, the centre of the fillet becomes beef Wellington.
Frequently asked questions
What cut of meat is chateaubriand?
The thick centre of the beef tenderloin (fillet), cut as one piece of 400–600 g / 14–21 oz for two people.
What is the difference between chateaubriand and filet mignon?
Both come from the tenderloin. Filet mignon is an individual steak, usually from the narrower end; chateaubriand is a thick roast from the centre, shared by two.
What temperature should chateaubriand be cooked to?
Pull it at 50–52 °C / 122–126 °F for medium-rare; it rises to about 54–56 °C / 129–133 °F while resting.
What sauce is served with chateaubriand?
Classically béarnaise or Chateaubriand sauce, a reduction of white wine, shallots and veal stock finished with butter and tarragon.
How long does a chateaubriand take in the oven?
About 12–20 minutes at 200 °C / 400 °F after searing, for a 400–600 g piece; a thermometer decides, not the clock.
Sources
3
- Larousse Gastronomique, rev. ed. London: Hamlyn, 2009.
- McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, rev. ed. New York: Scribner, 2004.
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart. 2023. www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/safe-temperature-chart
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