Why it works: Rosemary and thyme match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,340 recipes. Both carry 1-octen-3-one, which smells mushroom, metallic. The science ↓
Herb-roasted Beef Tenderloin
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Let the tenderloin come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C, Gas Mark 7) with the oven rack in the center.
Tuck the rosemary and thyme sprigs under the string tying the fillet.
Place the tenderloin on a rack in a large roasting pan.
Season with salt (if using) and pepper.
Roast
Roast for 25 minutes.
Baste the beef with olive oil.
Continue to roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until an instant-reading meat thermometer placed in the thickest part registers 120°F (49°C) for medium-rare or 140°F (60°C) for medium.
Rest and serve
Transfer the roast to a heated serving platter and let sit 15 minutes at room temperature before carving.
Carve the roast into thin slices and serve.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Rosemary | 1 tsp dried (1.2g) | 4 |
| Thyme | 1 tsp dried (1.4g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Rosemary + thymetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,340 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
-
Rosemary + olivetop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,590 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Thyme + peppertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,585 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Thyme + olivetop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together4,948 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).
-
Rosemary + peppertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,324 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Beef tenderloin
- Lean, tender main cut that cooks quickly and is carved into slices for serving.
- Olive oil
- Adds fat and helps the surface brown and stay moist during roasting.
- Rosemary
- Contributes aromatic herbal flavour that infuses the meat as it roasts.
- Thyme
- Contributes aromatic herbal flavour that infuses the meat as it roasts.
The step that matters
Roasting to the thermometer reading. Beef tenderloin is lean and goes from rare to overcooked quickly, so checking the internal temperature in the thickest part is more reliable than timing alone. Resting the roast afterwards lets juices redistribute before carving.
Swap the thyme
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, rosemary, pepper, olive):
- Thymethe original
- Oreganofits about as well
- Basilfits less well
- Sagefits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, rosemary, pepper, olive. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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