For as long as I can remember, beef tenderloin has been the star of my family’s Christmas dinner. While we may have changed how we’ve cooked it over the years, we have always served it with a horseradish sauce. Ed and I have been known to serve a beef tenderloin at other times of the year and we always make sure to include the requisite sauce.
Traditional horseradish sauce uses full fat sour cream as a base. Looking for a healthier alternative, a few years ago I started making it with Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Since the consistency is the same and the taste is pretty close, nobody seemed to notice. The horseradish is clearly the star of the show in this sauce. Now I don’t even tell people unless they ask how it is made.
I strongly recommend horseradish (made with vinegar and salt) rather than horseradish sauce (made with mayonnaise) for this recipe. If you have access to fresh horseradish, then freshly grated is always the way to go.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t share our favorite way of cooking a beef tenderloin. Since adding a sous vide system (‘under vacuum’ or ‘low temperature for a long time’) to our cooking tools, this is our preferred method of cooking a beef tenderloin. This ensures that when the beef tenderloin is finished, it is cooked to the perfect temperature. We sear the beef before putting it into a sous vide bath and then sear it again at the end. As long as you have a container (could be a cooking pot or pan) that fits your beef tenderloin and holds enough water, you can use this method.
I thought I’d share this recipe far enough in advance of Christmas in case you wanted to do a trial run. This sauce goes well with any kind of beef including as a condiment on a roast beef sandwich.
| Healthy Horseradish Sauce | Print |
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (about 10 ounces) – whole, 2% or 0% (non-fat)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons horseradish (see Notes)
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Mix Greek yogurt, horseradish, lemon juice, garlic and chives in a small bowl. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Let sit for a few hours and add more horseradish before serving if you want a bit more heat.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Can be prepared a day in advance.
- Garnish with a few minced chives.
* If you’re concerned about horseradish heat, start with one tablespoon of horseradish and let it sit for a few hours. Taste it before serving and add a tablespoon or two more horseradish if you want more of a kick.
* Recipe can be doubled or tripled.
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