What is it?

Beef Tenderloin is the most tender cut of beef in the loin (hence the name😉). It’s where we get filet Mignon, which comes from the tip at the very end of the tenderloin.

The Prep work

To prepare beef tenderloin for cooking you’ll want to start by trimming some of the fat. This is a very lean cut of beef because there’s very little fat within, but around it there will be two major lengths youll want to take out before cooking. One is the silverskin that runs down the length, the other is the chain that runs along the outside edge. The easiest way to get these off is to run a sharp knife right underneath the length of fat while gently pulling it up with your other hand.

Next, you’ll want to tie up your tenderloin to make it as uniform as possible so it cooks evenly. You can skip this part if you’d like, skipping will make the smaller parts more well done while leaving the thicker end rare. Either way, you’ll sill have delicious tenderloin.

Finally, to give your tenderloin a nice crust on the outside you can leave it uncovered in the fridge for as long as you’d like up to one day. I would recommend 2-12 hours. This will dry the surface of the meat and will give it that crispy browned crust when seared.

The Cooking Process

To season, before anything, you’ll want to season this bad boy. Of course we have to recommended our very own UWP Gourmet Seasoning, made with our own house made blend. But anything you like will do just fine. Coat the outside in your seasoning and let it rest at room temperature for a few hours.

To sear (or reverse sear after roasting), heat up some oil in a large pan (preferably cast iron) and sear on all sides for 3-5min. Depending on how big your tenderloin is, you can cut it to make it more manageable.

To tenderize, I like to make a compound butter to slather all over. You can find some here:

/3-best-ways-to-cook-fresh-tenderloin-steaks-6-compound-butter-toppers/

To roast, cook until the desired temperature is reached. You can slow roast at 200-300 for roughly an hour or at 450 for 20-25 min. You’ll want to pull it out when the thermometer reads 120-125. The carryover cooking will bring your cut up to temp, it will make the internal temperature of your cut rise about 5-7 degrees. If you’d like to reverse sear your tenderloin, now is the time!

Rare: 120F

Medium Rare: 120F-125F

Medium 130F-135F

To rest, let your cut rest for about 15 minutes after you cook it. This will help the juices settle and redistribute and the small rise in temperature after cooking will get you that perfect pink center.