Elevate Your Holiday Feast: Decadent Beef Tenderloin Sliders with Cranberry Orange Relish
The holiday season is a time for gathering, celebration, and, of course, exquisite food. If you’re looking to impress your guests with a dish that is both elegant and bursting with flavor, look no further than these Beef Tenderloin Sliders with Cranberry Orange Relish. These delightful mini sandwiches offer a sophisticated twist on traditional holiday fare, presenting tender, perfectly roasted beef tenderloin nestled in soft slider buns, generously topped with a vibrant, sweet-tart cranberry orange relish, and beautifully garnished with fresh sprigs of aromatic rosemary. It’s a culinary masterpiece that promises to be a highlight of any festive table, packing a significant protein punch while delighting every palate.
Why Beef Tenderloin Sliders for Your Holiday Gathering?
As the festive season approaches, many of us find ourselves pondering the perfect holiday menu. With only a few weeks left until major celebrations, time truly does fly! It often feels like we’ve just recovered from one holiday feast before planning the next. For families like mine, who celebrate with various relatives, this can mean hosting two or three large, festive dinners, each requiring a unique and memorable menu.
Beef frequently takes center stage as the showpiece of many holiday feasts, and for good reason. Its rich flavor and versatility make it a beloved choice. If you’re seeking a creative and delicious twist on serving beef this season, these Beef Tenderloin Sliders with Cranberry Orange Relish are an exceptional option. These delectable, melt-in-your-mouth mini sandwiches are ideal for a holiday table, allowing guests to savor a bite or two before indulging in all the wonderful side dishes, vibrant salads, artisanal breads, and decadent desserts. This approach offers a lighter yet equally satisfying way to enjoy premium beef, ensuring everyone leaves feeling delighted, not overly stuffed.
One of the beauties of this dish is its flexibility. You can artfully arrange the sliced beef tenderloin on a platter alongside the slider buns, allowing your guests the freedom to assemble their own personalized sliders. Alternatively, the succulent beef can be enjoyed simply with a dollop of the bright cranberry orange relish, making it suitable for those who prefer to skip the bun or manage their portions more closely. This adaptability makes it a fantastic choice for diverse guest preferences and a stress-free hosting experience.
The Nutritional Powerhouse: Why Choose Beef for Your Holiday Menu?
Amidst the indulgence of the holidays, offering a healthy and nutritious option is truly the best gift you can give your body! Beef stands out as an excellent choice, providing a wealth of essential nutrients in a remarkably compact and delicious package. A standard 3-ounce serving of beef delivers an impressive 25 grams of protein, crucial for muscle repair and satiety, alongside 10 essential nutrients. These nutrients include iron, zinc, selenium, and several B vitamins, all vital for energy metabolism, immune function, and overall well-being.
What makes beef particularly remarkable is its nutrient density. For instance, to obtain the same amount of readily absorbable iron found in just 3 ounces of beef, you would need to consume approximately 8 ounces of chicken breast. This makes beef an incredibly efficient source of vital minerals, especially important during a busy holiday season when maintaining energy levels is key. Incorporating beef into your holiday meals ensures your guests receive significant nutritional benefits without sacrificing flavor or festive appeal.
Choosing and Preparing Your Beef Tenderloin
For those aiming for a truly luxurious holiday experience, premium roasts like Ribeye, Rib, and Tenderloin are incredibly popular choices. If you’re seeking more economical yet still flavorful options, Round Tip, Top Sirloin, and Eye Round roasts are fantastic alternatives. For this particular slider recipe, I opted for beef tenderloin. It’s renowned for its exceptional tenderness and juicy quality, making it absolutely perfect for delicate sliders that pair wonderfully with the bright, sweet-tart cranberry orange relish.
Beyond its incredible taste, these Beef Tenderloin Sliders with Cranberry Orange Relish are visually stunning. The vibrant red cranberries and the fresh, verdant sprigs of rosemary create a festive and inviting presentation, adding to the overall holiday ambiance. When selecting your beef tenderloin, look for a cut that is uniform in color and has minimal external fat. A good butcher can also help you trim away any excess fat and the silver skin, a tough membrane that doesn’t render during cooking and can make the meat chewy. This initial preparation is crucial for achieving that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
The Dedication of Our Beef Farmers
As you gather with loved ones this holiday season to enjoy delicious beef dishes, take a moment to appreciate the hard work and dedication of the beef farmers who make it all possible. The farmers, like the Rittenhouse family from New Carlisle, Ohio, care for their animals year-round, even during holidays and when the weather outside is frightful. Imagine the commitment required to manage a farm during a harsh winter storm, ensuring their cows are safely moved to nearby pastures where they can be closely monitored and protected from the elements. This unwavering dedication means that while we are comfortably enjoying our Beef Tenderloin Sliders with Cranberry Orange Relish, a wonderful, hardworking farmer is out in the cold, tending to their livestock.
Ohio alone boasts 17,000 beef farming families, with an impressive 98 percent being family-owned and operated farms. Their commitment extends to adapting animal care routines as the seasons change and temperatures drop. The Ohio Beef Council provides insightful video series that highlight how these dedicated farmers adjust their practices to ensure the well-being of their animals during colder weather. Supporting beef means supporting these families and their invaluable contributions to our food system.
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Beef Tenderloin Sliders with Cranberry Orange Relish
Julia Jolliff
30 minutes
30 minutes
1 hour
4
servings
Saved
Pin
Ingredients
-
1
cup
water -
3/4
sugar -
12
oz
cranberries ,
{you can use frozen too} -
1
teaspoon
apple cider vinegar -
2
teaspoons
orange zest -
1
teaspoon
orange juice -
2
teaspoons
honey -
1 1/2
pounds
beef tenderloin,
trimmed of excess fat and silverskin -
1
Tablespoon
olive oil -
2
Tablespoons
unsalted butter -
1
teaspoon
kosher salt -
1/2
teaspoon
ground pepper -
1
teaspoon
onion powder -
1
teaspoon
garlic powder -
1/2
teaspoon
oregano -
2
rosemary ,
sprigs + extra for garnish
Instructions
-
The night before you are going to make the beef tenderloin prepare the Cranberry Orange Relish.
-
Heat a large pot of water over medium high heat. Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil, add the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
-
Add the cranberries, apple cider vinegar, orange zest, orange juice and honey and simmer until all of the cranberries have popped.
-
Set a mesh strainer over a large bowl and push the cranberries through the strainer using a wooden spoon or the back of a spatula. This allows the juices to separate from the cranberries. Put the juices in one container and the cranberries in another and refrigerate overnight.
-
Using a thin carving knife, carefully remove all the silver skin off of the tenderloin {you can also ask your butcher to do this for you}.
-
Set the beef tenderloin on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil 15 minutes prior to cooking to bring it to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
-
In a small mixing bowl combine the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano. Mix well to combine. Using your hands, rub this salt mixture evenly over the entire beef tenderloin in a thin layer, ensuring all surfaces are seasoned.
-
In a heavy skillet or cast iron skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully add the tenderloin and 2 Tablespoons of butter to the hot skillet. Sear all sides of the tenderloin until beautifully browned (this typically takes about 1-2 minutes per side), creating a delicious crust.
-
Once browned, lay two sprigs of fresh rosemary directly on top of the tenderloin. Transfer the cast iron skillet or an oven-safe dish containing the tenderloin to the preheated oven. Cook until the internal temperature of the beef reaches 140 degrees F for a perfect rare to medium-rare doneness {this took about 17 minutes in my oven}. Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin for accuracy.
-
Remove the tenderloin from the oven once cooked to your desired temperature. It is crucial to let it rest for at least 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring maximum tenderness and flavor.
-
Using a sharp carving knife and a carving fork, slice the tenderloin across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick pieces with a smooth, sawing motion. Slicing against the grain ensures the most tender bite.
-
Arrange the succulent beef tenderloin slices on a platter with slider buns. Allow your guests to assemble their own, or create them yourself: place a slice of beef tenderloin on the bottom half of a bun, add a small spoonful of the vibrant cranberry orange relish, and a delicate drizzle of the separated juices from the cranberries for extra moisture and flavor.
-
Garnish generously with freshly chopped rosemary for an aromatic and visual flourish. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Nutrition Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is an approximation, calculated automatically, and should not be considered a substitute for professional dietary advice. Please consult with a qualified health professional for precise nutritional data tailored to your individual needs.
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Discover More Holiday Beef Recipes
Looking for more inspiring beef recipes to make your holiday season extra special? Here are some fantastic creations from my fellow bloggers that you might love:
Garlic Herb Crusted Roast Beef from Tastes of Lizzy T’s
Beef Tenderloin with Mushrooms and Fresh Herb Butter from Lemons for Lulu
Pepper Crusted Prime Rib Roast from Jelly Toast
Garlic Rosemary Prime Rib Roast with Horseradish from NeighborFood
Beef Wellington Burger from Melanie Makes
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For more helpful tips and tricks on how to cook beef tenderloin to perfection, check out this insightful article from The Kitchn.
Today’s post is sponsored by the Ohio Beef Council. As always, my thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands and products that make A Cedar Spoon possible.