Beef Tenderloin Salad

Halloween. I carved a pumpkin that was supposed to be a pierogi. It looked like a misshapen football. Megan carved one that was supposed to be a book (teacher pumpkin, she said) and it looked like a rectangle. We put them on the apartment doorstep and a trick-or-treater asked, "What are those supposed to be?" I said, "Art." He said, "Okay." He was eight. He was not impressed.

The wedding is seven months away. Megan has entered what she calls "crunch time," which means the binder has expanded to two binders and the spreadsheet has become three spreadsheets and she talks about seating charts in her sleep. She is also, somehow, teaching twenty-four nine-year-olds during the day and planning a 180-person wedding at night and managing it all with the organizational skills of a military strategist. I am deeply intimidated.

My contribution: the food, the beer, and showing up where she tells me to show up. The "Dwa Narody" wedding beer is nearly finalized — amber, smooth, honey-rye, beautiful. We're doing a special label for the wedding: a simple design with our names and the date and the pierogi-and-clover logo from the save-the-dates. Each table will have bottles. Tom will have an entire case. Tom has earned it.

Made a pot of chili for Halloween night — the same simple chili I've been making for years, ground beef and kidney beans and tomatoes, served in bowls while we waited for trick-or-treaters who never came because our building is not on the trick-or-treat map despite Megan's best efforts with the full-size candy bars. We ate the candy ourselves. No regrets.

The chili did its job — warm bowl, couch, candy we were never going to give away anyway — but it got me thinking about what I’d make if the night called for something a little more dressed up, something that still had that same satisfying beefy center without being strictly a “waiting for trick-or-treaters” situation. This beef tenderloin salad is basically that: it has the substance of a proper autumn dinner but enough elegance that Megan wouldn’t side-eye me for serving it to guests. Which, given that we have approximately 180 guests to feed in seven months, feels like useful practice.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb beef tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch medallions
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, or spring mix)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola
1/4 cup candied walnuts or pecans
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Season the beef. Pat the tenderloin medallions dry with paper towels. Season all sides generously with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes while you prep the salad components.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together balsamic vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, and honey until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Sear the beef. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a cast iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add medallions in a single layer without crowding. Sear 2—3 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until your preferred doneness. Work in batches if needed.
Rest the meat. Transfer seared medallions to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Then slice each medallion into 1/2-inch strips against the grain.
Assemble the salad. Divide the mixed greens among four plates. Arrange cherry tomatoes, red onion slices, crumbled blue cheese, and candied walnuts over the greens.
Top and dress. Fan the sliced beef over each salad. Drizzle the balsamic dressing evenly over everything. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Beef Tenderloin Salad — For When the Halloween Chili Pot Is Empty and You Want Something Worth Dressing Up For