Beef Tenderloin Sandwiches for a Crowd
Lots of her flavored butter makes these sandwiches a tasty treat for guests at any party.
Makes 20 sandwiches
Meat:
1 beef tenderloin (2 to 2 1 ⁄2 pounds)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 ⁄4 cup (1 1⁄2 sticks) butter, melted
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Butter mixture:
1 1⁄2 cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 garlic heaping powder tablespoons
2 heaping tablespoons celery seed
2 heaping tablespoons ground thyme
To assemble:
20 small bakery buns (about), sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
For meat: Coat all sides of tenderloin with salt and pepper and set in a Corningware pan that fits the meat as tightly as possible.
Pour melted butter over beef. Roll tenderloin in the butter, then flip to be sure both sides are well coated. Add Worcestershire sauce to top of meat.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Roast 2 hours or until meat reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees. It should be rare at this point.
Remove meat from pan. Discard butter. Refrigerate at least a couple of hours. You want all the juices to congeal as much as possible. If you cut it too quickly, you will lose a lot of moisture. You can make this portion up to two days ahead of time.
When well chilled, slice meat as for sandwiches. Pieces should be at least 3⁄4-inch thick.
For butter mixture: Place butter in a medium bowl. Add garlic powder, celery seed and ground thyme. Blend or beat mixture until well-combined.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slather at least 1 heaping tablespoon of butter on each side of each bun. Add one slice of tenderloin, and then top with salt and pepper to taste.
Place beef sandwiches on a cookie sheet. Wrap each with aluminum foil. When ready to eat, bake in preheated oven until warm, about 10 minutes. When done, buns will be hot and crispy, butter should be melted and the tenderloin should be a perfect medium-rare. Serve at once.
Note: Sandwiches can be made ahead of time. If you decide to refrigerate, remember to take them out of refrigerator and let them come to room temperature before reheating.