Festive Feast Recipe

Bring to room temperature & preheat

Remove the 1400 g beef tenderloin from the refrigerator 45–60 minutes before roasting to come closer to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).

Season and sear

Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels. Rub 2 tbs olive oil evenly over the surface, then season all over with 1 tbs sea salt and 1 tbs freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat until smoking slightly. Sear the beef on all sides, about 2 minutes per side, until a deep brown crust forms. Remove skillet from heat.

Prepare herb-panko crust

In a bowl combine 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 0.5 cup chopped parsley, 2 tbs chopped rosemary, 1 tbs chopped thyme, and 4 minced garlic cloves. Stir in 2 tbs melted butter and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Brush the seared tenderloin all over with 2 tbs Dijon mustard, pressing the panko-herb mixture onto the mustard to form an even crust.

Roast to desired doneness

Place the crusted tenderloin (in the same skillet or on a roasting rack) into the preheated oven. Roast at 200°C (400°F) until an instant-read thermometer reads 52–55°C (125–130°F) for medium-rare (about 25–35 minutes for this size). Adjust time for desired doneness. Remove from oven and tent loosely with foil; rest for 15 minutes (temperature will rise ~3–5°C). Slice into 1–1.5 cm thick medallions when ready to serve.

Toast and sweat aromatics

Rinse 2 cups pearled farro well under cold water. In a medium pot, heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 finely diced yellow onion, 1 cup diced carrot, and 1 diced celery stalk. Cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes.

Cook farro

Add the rinsed farro to the pot and stir to coat in the aromatic mixture for 1–2 minutes. Pour in 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the farro is tender but still chewy—about 20–25 minutes (follow package time if different). If liquid is absorbed before farro is done, add up to 0.5 cup hot stock or water.

Finish the pilaf

When farro is cooked, remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Stir in 0.5 cup dried cranberries, 0.5 cup toasted chopped pecans, 0.25 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste and keep warm until plating.

Prep and roast

Preheat oven (if different from beef step, ensure oven at 200°C/400°F). On a sheet pan, toss 400 g carrots, 300 g parsnips, and 300 g baby beets with 3 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp sea salt, 0.5 tsp black pepper, and the fresh thyme sprigs. Spread in a single layer. Roast in the oven for 30–40 minutes, turning once at 20 minutes, until vegetables are caramelized and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove thyme sprigs before serving.

Keep warm

If the tenderloin is still resting, tent the vegetables loosely with foil to keep warm and crisp until plating.

Combine and reduce

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tbs butter. Add 1 minced shallot and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add 300 g cranberries, 1 cup port wine, 0.5 cup dry red wine and 2 tbs brown sugar. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have softened and the liquid has reduced by roughly half and coats the back of a spoon—about 12–18 minutes.

Finish the sauce

Season the reduction with 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. If you prefer a smoother sauce, press the cooked mixture through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Keep warm; the sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.

Emulsify dressing

In a small bowl or jar combine 2 tbs honey, 1 tbs Dijon mustard and 2 tbs red wine vinegar. Whisk or shake until combined. Slowly stream in 60 ml olive oil while whisking to emulsify. Season with 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Taste and adjust acidity or sweetness as desired. Keep refrigerated briefly if prepping ahead; bring to room temperature before using.

Dress greens

Place 1 cup microgreens or baby arugula in a bowl and toss lightly with 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil and a small pinch of salt, or toss with honey-Dijon vinaigrette to taste. Keep light—greens should be a bright counterpoint to the rich beef and pilaf.

Plate the Festive Feast

To serve 6: On each plate place a generous scoop of winter grain pilaf, a portion of roasted root vegetables, and 2–3 slices of herb-crusted beef tenderloin. Spoon 1–2 tbs cranberry-port reduction over the beef (or serve the sauce in a small pitcher). Scatter pomegranate seeds (0.5 cup total across servings) and microgreens over the plates for color and brightness. Serve additional cranberry-port reduction on the side if desired.

Serving notes

Serve immediately while the beef and vegetables are warm. Leftover reduction keeps refrigerated up to 4 days; reheat gently. The components can be partially prepared ahead: grains and roasted vegetables can be reheated; assemble herb crust and sear tenderloin just before roasting for best texture.