A holiday entertaining show-stopper inspired by a Christmas movie classic! This is best served to a bunch of caroling "Who's", but any friendly group will do!
Preheat the oven to 225°F and prepare a roasting pan or baking sheet with a rack.
Filet the roast: Place the beef on a large cutting board. Using a long chef’s knife, slice the filet on the side about 1 inch from the bottom, slowly unrolling the tenderloin as you go. Using long, smooth cutting strokes, continue slicing and unrolling the filet until the beef is a relatively flat, rectangular sheet. It does not need to be perfectly even!
Brush the full inner surface of the roast with Colavita Sundried Tomato Pesto and set aside uncovered at room temperature.
In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and parsley, and set aside.
In a large pan over medium heat, heat a few tablespoons of Avocado Oil and saute the shallot, mushrooms, and garlic until soft and beginning to brown, 5-7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add to the breadcrumb mixture and stir to combine. Wipe out the large pan but set aside for later use.
Spread the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the pesto-brushed surface of the beef, leaving a ½ inch border around the edges. Press the mixture firmly into the pesto to adhere, then carefully roll the beef filet back up as tightly as possible. Place the seam side down on the cutting board.
Use butcher’s twine to tie the roast back together, creating an even cylinder.
Pat the roast dry, then spray the roast with Avocado Oil Spray and season the outside liberally with salt and pepper.
Re-heat the large skillet over medium-high heat, and add an additional tablespoon of Colavita Avocado Oil Spray. Sear the roast until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Set the roast on the prepared rack and place in the oven for 1-2 hours, or until the roast reads 125°F in the center for medium-rare. After 1 hour in the oven, begin to check the internal temperature to gauge doneness.
When the roast is about 100-110°F, baste the outside liberally with Colavita Balsamic Glaze and return to the oven to continue cooking. You may repeat the glaze process 2-3 times, every 10 minutes, for a shiny finish.
Once the internal temperature reaches 125°, remove the roast from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice and serve with your favorite holiday sides!
While this recipe works with a whole-cut beef tenderloin as well as center-cut, a center-cut filet mignon roast, or chateaubriand, is preferable. This premium cut is a more even cylindrical shape, making it easier to flatten and stuff and leading to consistent cooking throughout. This recipe makes enough to serve a group of 4-6 and can be easily doubled with a larger cut of meat. Due to the shape of the meat, the cooking time remains relatively similar for larger portions.
For the potatoes pictured: halve 1 lb of baby red potatoes and toss in Colavita Avocado Oil, Sea Salt, and Black Pepper. Place cut-side-down at the bottom of the roasting pan and cook alongside the beef. When beef is finished cooking and is resting, increase the oven temperature to 425°F and continue to roast potatoes until golden brown, an additional 10-15 minutes.