(Reprinted from St. Louis Chefs’ Recipes, compiled by St. Louis Magazine editors)
Serves eight to 10.
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2½ pounds beef tenderloin, trimmed
2–3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (for seasoning)
2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
Flour (for dusting)
1 pound puff pastry
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
Drizzle the beef with olive oil and season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat heavy skillet lightly coated with olive oil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium and sear tenderloin on all sides, including the ends, for about 2–3 minutes total.
Remove tenderloin to a plate and rub lightly all over with mustard. Allow to cool slightly. Set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to ensure tenderloin maintains its shape.
Preheat oven to 425.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to about a ¼-inch thickness. (Depending on the size of your pastry sheets, you may have to overlap two sheets and press them together.)
Set the tenderloin in the center of the pastry and fold over the longer sides, brushing with egg wash to seal. Trim ends if necessary. Then brush with egg wash and fold over to completely seal the tenderloin. Season with coarse sea salt. Place the beef seam side down on a baking sheet.
Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash and make a couple of slits in the top of the pastry.
Bake for 40–45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 125 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before cutting into thick slices.
