Beef tenderloin


 
T

Tim O

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Hi all,
Got a massive chunk of beef tenderloin sitting in the fridge - 7lber! I've done these in the grill before but not nearly this big. My go to recipe is simple: slather in olive oil, cover in Montreal steak seasoning, grill on medium heat until 125-130 internal, rest, cut. However, with a cut this big, I'm worried about grilling time. I have a Weber Spirit so it only has two burners. I usually put the beef in between the two in the middle for indirect heat. Anyone have any suggestions for me? Does it sound like I can get by using my same old method? I don't want to burn the outside - probably may take an hour +? Would I be safer throwing it in the oven?

Thanks all and Merry Christmas!
 
You could always cut it in half to do two smaller loins. Or just let 'er rip - especially if you're serving people with a wide range of doneness preferences.
 
Considering that is filet mignon in the "rough", I'd slice it and grill it. Way too lean for low temp cooking.
 
P.S. at 4-5 oz/person (normal filet portion), you expecting 25 people? If not, slice it and portion it, wrap separately and freeze the rest (uncooked of course ;) )
 
Merry Christmas. I'll defer to your judgement re size vs people you are feeding. But there is nothing not yummy about cold steak. I think you might try a 2-zone cook: sear to a nice char over one burner on high and move over to the other burner on low. Stick a digital thermometer probe into the middle of the tenderloin and monitor the temp. I'd take it off when it's 125deg for medium rare, tent it and let it sit for 20 minutes or so. I've used this method, but never for a 7 pounder. My suggestion would be to remove from the fridge a few hours before starting cooking to let it heat up some (it will not reach room temp, the notion that an hour or so out of the fridge will get a steak or roast to room temp is not based in reality) and salt it with kosher salt. When it's time to cook, wipe the salt off and dry it the best you can. No idea what cooking time will, hence the need to monitor the temp. Good luck!!
 
Cook indirect to 115 internal and THEN do a direct sear for 5 minutes, rotate 90 degrees for another 5 minutes, and so forth until all four sides have been seared. Internal should be around 135 to 140 by then........purrfect for medium to medium rare.

On a side note, I would have dry-brined it for 24 hours before cooking to get some flavor deep down inside. Use an oil-based rub on the outside to create a bark during the reverse sear.

With a great cut of meat like that, it will be hard to screww it up unless you OVERCOOK it. An instand read thermometer is your best friend. Don't go over 145 or you'll be sorry.
 
I like to do Tenderloin on the WSM using high heat. Once I get to about 120 deg, I like to do a quick reverse sear, then tent with foil and rest. Turns out great every time. I am doing two tonight.
 
For roasts like a tenderloin, the question comes down to how you want the slices to look. If you prefer a consistent edge to edge color, go low and slow in the 200-250 range. If you like a bit of a crust, pull the loin about 10 degrees under your normal target temp, let it rest for 20 mins, then sear it off on an extremely hot grill or oven.

20141217-tenderloin-roast-recipe-food-lab-primary-thumb-625xauto-417108.jpg



Notice the consistent color/temp from edge to edge.





If you prefer to have more variation within the slice, with it being well done on the outer edges and less done as you head towards the center, cook with a higher chamber temp like 325 or more. When to sear it doesn't really matter with this method, it can be done in the beginning or at the end.


beeftenderloin_final_484.jpg


here you can see the variation in temp / degree of doneness (?) in each slice. Outer edge is well done and goes through midwell to medium in the middle. With this method, the outer parts of the loin will also cook more (end cuts). The higher the cooking temp, the more variation within the slice.


BTW, neither method is "right" or "wrong" as it comes down to your own personal preference as to how you like your meats cooked.
 
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