Usually at Christmas I'll spend a little more for a nice piece of meat. This year I picked up a prime beef tenderloin at Costco. Question I have is how do I get this thing to medium rare reliably? It sounds like a silly question, but I have a ThermoWorks microdot thermometer that I have used over the years that has consistently led to several medium/medium well cooks. I have tested the thermometer with boiling water and it appears to test out within a degree or two of 212. Not sure if I'm placing it in the meat incorrectly but I usually pull beef around 125 and it consistently comes out medium/medium well and I don't want to ruin a very expensive cut of meat. Your help is much appreciated.

What might I be doing wrong? What do you do to ensure a good cook? I intend to throw it in on broil to sear it and then turn the temp down and gradually cook it to temp.

You are likely pulling the meat out of the oven too late. A big piece of meat will continue to increase in temp while it rests by more than you likely expect.

Reverse Sear might help you. Cook it at 225 until it gets to 115-120. Let it rest 15 minutes while you crank your oven or grill up and sear on all sides for 2-3 minutes.

Sous vide would be another route. Bring the whole thing to 120*F then let it rest for 20 before blasting it on whatever apparatus you have to sear as quickly as possible.

Seems pretty obvious - pull it at an lower temperature. It continues to cook after you pull it.

Leeman said:

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Seems pretty obvious - pull it at an lower temperature. It continues to cook after you pull it.

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And if you're not already, let it rest

"I'll spend a little more for a nice piece of meat"

I have also noticed that they jump up really fast in temperature at the end. I have gotten pretty good at both high heat in the oven and low heat reverse sear on the pellet smoker. Once they get close, you have to be ready to pull.

I thought I pulled it early enough around at around 120-125…I'll try and pull it sooner and try 118.

TMfrisco said:

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Reverse Sear might help you. Cook it at 225 until it gets to 115-120. Let it rest 15 minutes while you crank your oven or grill up and sear on all sides for 2-3 minutes.

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I just use the broiler in the oven. Takes too long to crank the grill up and not much return for the effort.

Am I the only one on this planet without a sous vide set up?

B-1 83 said:

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Am I the only one on this planet without a sous vide set up?

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Yes.


T&P.

nope

Absolute said:

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I have also noticed that they jump up really fast in temperature at the end. I have gotten pretty good at both high heat in the oven and low heat reverse sear on the pellet smoker. Once they get close, you have to be ready to pull.

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No kidding. I was doing a rib roast for a dinner party and watching religiously as it approached pull time. Then guests showed up, I made drinks, chatted etc. for about 10 minutes and it went from very rare to medium just like that.

B-1 83 said:

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Am I the only one on this planet without a sous vide set up?

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Don't have one and never will.

triple sear!




Also, if doing oven, I find much better results the lower the temp is. Of course, the lower you go, the more time it takes.

But cooking a steak at like 200*.. takes much longer to get to 120, and doesn't continue to cook as long/high as compared to doing say 350*

But I've kept probes in a steak after cooking several times. If it's a thick cut, it can easily go 10* if you had the oven at 300+.

Very helpful. Thank you!

Tailgate88 said:

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B-1 83 said:

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Am I the only one on this planet without a sous vide set up?

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Don't have one and never will.

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Strange flex.

Not flexing, just a preference.

Tailgate88 said:

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Not flexing, just a preference.

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The post comes across as boastful, regardless of intent.

Odd thing to boast about.

Naveronski said:

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Tailgate88 said:

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Not flexing, just a preference.

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The post comes across as boastful, regardless of intent.

Odd thing to boast about.

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I'm sorry you chose to infer my comment as boastful, that was not it's intent. B1-83 asked if he was the only one without a sous vide and I responded. I answered the question and added a little context - it's simply not something that I would ever own. I'm not judging, I'm not talking smack about people who do have them, I just simply answered the question. Geez.

As others have said sous vide or reverse sear would be your best option with a whole tenderloin. The good thing about sous vide is that in addition to easily controlling the temperature you can add butter, herbs, garlic, etc to the bag to help with flavor. It's also easy to utilize the drippings to make a pan sauce since they're all in the bag. If you have a griddle that would probably be the easiest thing to sear the whole thing with or if your oven has convection crank it as high as it goes and blast it for a few minutes.

Put on smoker/BGE. Pull at 110 to 115. Sears in cast iron for 2.5 minutes on all sides. Done.

It'll be perfect.

Tailgate88 said:

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Naveronski said:

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Tailgate88 said:

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Not flexing, just a preference.

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The post comes across as boastful, regardless of intent.

Odd thing to boast about.

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I'm sorry you chose to infer my comment as boastful, that was not it's intent. B1-83 asked if he was the only one without a sous vide and I responded. I answered the question and added a little context - it's simply not something that I would ever own. I'm not judging, I'm not talking smack about people who do have them, I just simply answered the question. Geez.

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How dare you won't own a sous vide!

Last year I did a Prime Rib on pellet and it turned out GREAT!

I'm hosting 12 adults, 4 kids on Christmas. Doing a smoked beef tenderloin this year, and it'll be my first. I have a pellet, and although it's not a Traeger, I tend to look up their recipes as they come out pretty good. I love to get cooking tips from Aaron Franklin and his motto is always keep it simple. Found this one and thought it might work (may go the coffee route for the guests, although I'd prefer the bourbon):

https://www.traeger.com/recipes/smoked-peppered-beef-tenderloin

That recipe is for 4, so makes me a bit nervous in adjusting the times. Thoughts or tips?

I've got a sous vide and a smoker, but I just go old school when it comes to rib roast. Cover with a paste made out of chopped rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and oil. Hit it at 450 for 20 minutes or so, then down to 350 for a slow roast to rare. I do the math beforehand to figure out perfect time to start and pull with rest time before carving.

I smoke them at about 225 and pull at 120 then let rest for about 30 minutes in a warm oven. Turns out perfectly medium rare every time.

Just a point of order….tenderloin is the one cut that I thin you are wasting money on for prime. Guarantee choice will taste every bit as good as prime for a good chunk less. Zero marbling in tenderloin.

Agreed on the waste of money on prime for tenderloin. Season as you like,I use either Uncle Chris or Chubacabra Steak seasoning after a rub with olive oil. Also I season more heavily than I would a steak, as you only have it on the edge versus a steak where its on the bulk of the meat. Smoke around 225 and pull at 105. Put on high heat gas grill and char as turning regularly, while brushing on melted butter. Pull no later than 120, but sooner if I have the slight char/color i'm looking for. My family all likes rare, but will tolerate med rare if necessary on the tail section. Tent with foil and let rest 15-20 min., it will carryover cook to higher temp.

I smoked two this past weekend for the in-laws and it was a major hit. I have a WSM and (mostly) followed the below recipe. Pulled at 120 and seared over charcoal. Turned out a near perfect med rare. I would post a picture, but I am new here and just realised I need to subscribe to do so.

Anyway, Good luck with your cook!

Virtual Weber Bullet Beef Tenderloin

I did a tester with Sucklebusters 1834 rub last night and applied it like you would a brisket…way too much, very peppery/spicey. (However, the texture and inside were perfect).
How much rub do you typically apply?!

I just do kosher salt, course ground pepper, a little bit of olive oil. Definitely not completely covered like a brisket.

Then, once it goes on that cast iron to sear, I put the little coins of garlic butter you can buy from HEB. Once those melt over and sit in the skillet for awhile, you have a masterpiece.

ChoppinDs40 said:

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I just do kosher salt, course ground pepper, a little bit of olive oil. Definitely not completely covered like a brisket.

Then, once it goes on that cast iron to sear, I put the little coins of garlic butter you can buy from HEB. Once those melt over and sit in the skillet for awhile, you have a masterpiece.

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you referring to those garlic butter dollops? I saw those when I bought the tenderloin and considered that.

yes sir, they're effing money.

Just finished breaking down a whole tenderloin. Cooking filets tomorrow for our small Christmas dinner gathering. Sealed up the rest of the filets along with the roast you get from on end and about 4 lbs of stroganoff and stir fry meat.

I guess it's a tenderloin year because we're cooking prime tenderloin roasts from Flannery on Thursday for dinner with my family in Amarillo.

Or a choice tenderloin roast.

Were doing two choice tenderloins today