Foolproof Beef Tenderloin Recipe - Lydi Out Loud (2024)

FAQs

Which cooking method is best for beef tenderloin? ›

One of the easiest methods of cooking Beef Tenderloin is in the oven. With minimal prep and our easy-to-follow guidelines, you'll present a juicy and tasty roast to guests in no time. For best results, make sure the Tenderloin roast is completely thawed.

Bake uncovered 40 to 50 minutes or until thermometer reads at least 140°F. Cover beef with tent of aluminum foil and let stand about 15 minutes or until thermometer reads 145°F. (Temperature will continue to rise about 5°, and beef will be easier to carve.)

Baking soda. Here's where it gets science-y: The baking soda raises the pH on the outside of the meat as it marinates, in a process known as velveting (which can also be done with a cornstarch slurry). This makes it so the proteins have a harder time bonding to each other when it's time to cook the meat.

Low-heat roasting— 225°F to 300°F, or 200°F to 275°F in a convection oven—will produce a roast with rosy interior that's evenly cooked all the way through, but you won't get much in the way of a well-seared crust.

A beef tenderloin is one of the more expensive cuts of beef, primarily because it's prized for its tenderness, and cooking a tenderloin with a salt crust simply ensures it remains delicious.

Accepted methods for cooking beef tenderloin

The food web and a great many cookbooks (very many of them highly reputable) recommend blasting a tenderloin in a hot oven, 450–500°F (232–260°C), for a relatively short time to cook it, followed by a counter rest.

Should you sear beef tenderloin before cooking it? If roasting a tenderloin in the oven, you'll definitely want to sear it to get a golden brown crust. It doesn't take very long, and is so worth the effort.

You don't have to go crazy waiting for hours until the meat is absolutely 72° and taking the internal temperature before you start cooking. That would take a really long time. Just take whatever you're cooking out of the fridge and let it start tempering in whatever time you have.

Washing beef, pork, lamb, or veal before cooking it is not recommended. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces. We call this cross-contamination. Some consumers think they are removing bacteria and making their meat or poultry safe.

While there are several ways to velvet, a pound of meat needs about two teaspoons of cornstarch and two teaspoons of oil, says Leung. You may also include two to three tablespoons of water. For beef, add a 1/4-teaspoon of baking soda for tenderizing. Additional seasonings are optional and vary from recipe to recipe.

Do you have to rinse off baking soda meat? ›

Just as you would with dry brining, rinse your meat until it's (mostly) free of all the baking soda.

Here's how to determine doneness without a thermometer. Gingerly poke a lean surface of the roast with your index finger. If the flesh yields easily, the meat is rare; more resistance means the meat is medium rare, and firm meat is well done. The same technique applies to steaks.

Overcooking it.

Tenderloin is lean and one of the most tender cuts around, but the lack of fat means that overcooking it will result in dry, tough meat. Follow this tip: Tenderloin is best served rare or medium-rare, so use a thermometer to make sure it doesn't get cooked past 140°F in the center.

Notes. For best results, season and trim the meat and allow it to rest at least overnight uncovered in the refrigerator to improve seasoning, browning, and texture. A center-cut beef tenderloin is also called a chateaubriand.

A beef tenderloin is an excellent choice for the broiler, just like filet mignon. You can add some olive oil and your choice of spices to the meat before broiling to allow it to get a crispy sear in the oven.

You can cook this cut on the grill or under a broiler for a juicy steak, but you could also use the convection oven. Cooking beef tenderloin in a convection oven is similar to cooking in a conventional oven, except that the tenderloin will cook faster because a convection oven's fan circulates the heat evenly.

Learning how to tie butcher's knots makes this very easy, though regular old square knots will work as well. So how do you get there? Well, traditional recipes for tenderloin (and most steaks and roasts) call for first searing the meat at a high temperature, then finishing it off at a relatively low temperature.

Slice the beef tenderloin into desired portions and add it a large sauté or roasting pan or with about 1 cup of beef stock, covered in foil and cooked in the oven at 400° for 10 to 12 minutes. Reheating your steak will 100% cause it to increase in internal temperature most likely past medium and into medium-well.