Châteaubriand, sauce béarnaise

The thick heart of the fillet, seared hard and brought to pink in the oven, sliced after resting — alongside an airy sauce béarnaise with tarragon and shallot. The classic roast for two, no detours, but every care taken.

Beef & Game Category

25 MIN Prep time

25 MIN Cook time

4 people Servings

Preparation

Reduction

Reduce the shallots, vinegar, white wine, peppercorns and tarragon stalks together by half, strain and let cool a little.

Sear the fillet

Season the fillet with salt and sear it hard all over in clarified butter. Add butter, garlic and thyme and baste the meat with it. At 160 °C for 12 to 15 minutes in the oven until the core reaches 52 to 54 °C; then rest for 10 minutes.

Béarnaise

Whisk the egg yolks with the reduction over a warm bain-marie until creamy, slowly pour in the clarified butter and season with chopped tarragon and chervil — the mixture must not get too hot, or it will curdle.

Serve

Cut the fillet into thick slices and serve with the béarnaise.

Why this wine?

Our Sarabande from LaSuite aux Conseillans is the wine for chateaubriand with béarnaise: its calm depth and ripe tannin suit the tender fillet, and it has enough length for the buttery tarragon sauce. This Merlot-led red matures for eighteen months in barrique, half of it new oak, in the classic Bordeaux way.

Good to know

Tips & insights

Take the châteaubriand out of the fridge in good time so it cooks evenly.
Sear it hard all over first, then baste it with butter, garlic and thyme and bring it to the point in the oven.
For the béarnaise, let the reduction of vinegar, wine and shallots cool well before adding the egg yolks, otherwise the sauce curdles.
Work in the clarified butter only lukewarm and in a thin stream so the sauce binds creamily.
Let the meat rest for a few minutes before slicing and carve it across the grain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which wine goes with chateaubriand and béarnaise sauce?

A mature red with soft tannin that doesn't overwhelm the tender fillet and holds its own against the béarnaise. We drink our Sarabande from LaSuite aux Conseillans with it, a Merlot-led red from the Bordeaux region aged for eighteen months in barrique. It gives the fillet a calm, long frame.

How do I make the sauce béarnaise without it curdling?

Whisk the egg yolks with the cooled vinegar reduction over a water bath until creamy, then work in the lukewarm clarified butter slowly. If the temperature stays below about 65 degrees, the sauce binds smoothly. If it gets too hot, a spoonful of cold water helps.

To which doneness should I bring the châteaubriand?

A core of about 52 to 54 degrees gives a juicy medium-rare that suits the fine fillet. Use a thermometer and let the meat rest afterwards so the juices settle and the slice stays clean.

Which side dish goes with the châteaubriand?

Classics are pommes château, fine beans wrapped in bacon or a potato gratin. They give the noble fillet a calm frame and take up the béarnaise well, without competing with the sauce and the meat for attention.

The wine to pair