Coffee-Crusted Beef Tenderloin

Deeply flavored from a rub of ground beans, cocoa powder, and cinnamon, this roast feeds a crowd.

Updated on December 20, 2025

One Christmas morning in the mid-1990s, chef Robert Del Grande spilled coffee grounds all over the cutting board he was about to use for the day’s roasts—and he decided to just go with it. “He thought back on a conversation he’d once had with a friend about the meaty quality of coffee,” wrote Margo True in a November 2006 story about Del Grande’s Café Annie in Houston. “In a second, he was rolling the filets in the coffee. The ground beans formed a rich, unctuous crust.” Today the place is called The Annie Café & Bar, but Del Grande remains its executive chef and the coffee-crusted tenderloin beef is still on the menu.

Featured in “Coming Home to Café Annie” by Margo True in the November 2006 issue.

Serves
8
Time
1 hour 45 minutes, plus marinating and soaking time

Maura McEvoy

Ingredients

4 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 garlic cloves
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo
½ small white onion, finely chopped
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 2-lb. beef tenderloin roast, tied with twine at ½-in. intervals
3 Tbsp. very finely ground coffee
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
Ground cinnamon

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Instructions

Step 1

In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the guajillo and ancho chiles, turning occasionally, until fragrant, 4–5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover with warm water, and set aside to soak until softened, 20–25 minutes.

Step 2

In a blender, purée the garlic, chipotles, onion, softened chiles, and 1 cup of the soaking liquid.

Step 3

Make the chile sauce: To a small pot over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When it’s hot and shimmering, add the chile mixture, turn the heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened but still pourable, about 30 minutes. Add the brown sugar and vinegar and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until thickened to a loose paste, 12–14 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, remove from the heat, and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Step 4

Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Rub the roast with the remaining oil, season generously with salt and black pepper, and brush all over with 2 tablespoons of the chile sauce (reserve any remaining sauce for another use).

Step 5

In a large bowl, stir together the coffee, cocoa powder, and a pinch of cinnamon, then roll the roast in the mixture to coat. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet fitted with a wire rack and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

Step 6

Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the temperature to 225°F. Continue baking until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads 120°F for rare, 12–14 minutes more. Set aside at room temperature to rest for 15 minutes, then cut away and discard the twine, slice the meat against the grain, and serve.

In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the guajillo and ancho chiles, turning occasionally, until fragrant, 4–5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover with warm water, and set aside to soak until softened, 20–25 minutes.
In a blender, purée the garlic, chipotles, onion, softened chiles, and 1 cup of the soaking liquid.
Make the chile sauce: To a small pot over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When it’s hot and shimmering, add the chile mixture, turn the heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened but still pourable, about 30 minutes. Add the brown sugar and vinegar and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until thickened to a loose paste, 12–14 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, remove from the heat, and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Rub the roast with the remaining oil, season generously with salt and black pepper, and brush all over with 2 tablespoons of the chile sauce (reserve any remaining sauce for another use).
In a large bowl, stir together the coffee, cocoa powder, and a pinch of cinnamon, then roll the roast in the mixture to coat. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet fitted with a wire rack and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the temperature to 225°F. Continue baking until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads 120°F for rare, 12–14 minutes more. Set aside at room temperature to rest for 15 minutes, then cut away and discard the twine, slice the meat against the grain, and serve.

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