Tenderloin with Tomatillo Sauce

The tomatillo is one of those ingredients that seems exotic until you've cooked with it once, at which point it becomes indispensable. Native to Mexico, it looks like a small green tomato wrapped in a papery husk, but its flavor is entirely different—tangy and bright, with a vegetal freshness that cuts through rich meats like nothing else. Combined with smoked paprika and cumin, it produces a sauce that bridges continents. This particular preparation layers the aromatics carefully: onion and garlic form the foundation, the tomatillo provides acidity and body, and the Worcestershire sauce—that British contribution to global cuisine—adds umami depth. The result is a sauce sophisticated enough for beef tenderloin but simple enough for a weeknight. The technique is pure French—a roux-thickened pan sauce—but the flavors are entirely transatlantic. The beef tenderloin deserves respect. It's the most tender cut on the animal, which means it requires very little cooking and absolutely no abuse. Sear it hard to build a crust, let it rest to redistribute the juices, and slice it against the grain. The sauce does the rest of the work.