How to cook Beef Tenderloin (2024)

FAQs

Which cooking method is best for 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.

Roast until a meat thermometer registers 130°F (about 25–30 minutes) for medium-rare doneness or 140°F for medium doneness (about 30–35 minutes). Remember, your roast will continue to warm after removing it from the oven. Transfer your roast to a carving board and tent loosely with aluminum foil.

To sum up: Filet mignon is part of a beef tenderloin, but a beef tenderloin is not a filet mignon. Instead, it houses the filet mignon, which comes from the end portion of the tenderloin. The rest of the tenderloin can create other steak cuts or a delicious tenderloin roast to feed the family.

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.

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.

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.)

Let your meat sit and get up to room temperature. Follow this chart for cooking times and meat temperatures of whole beef tenderloin (filet). Ideally beef tenderloin should be cooked at 135 to 140 degrees for perfect flavor and temperature.

According to the USDA, it's not recommended to wash any raw meat before cooking.

Low-Temperature Roasting

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.

Beef tenderloin is where you'll find filet mignon. But because filet mignon is just a portion of the full tenderloin, it's more expensive per pound than the beef tenderloin itself. However, that doesn't make the beef tenderloin a cheap piece of meat.

Is beef tenderloin a good cut of meat? ›

Beef Tenderloin is a long cut of beef that you can use for a roast, Beef Wellington, or slice into small portions of steak known as “Filet Mignon”. Tenderloin is particularly useful for entertaining guests and special occasions, as you can cut several extremely tender, perfectly portioned, mouthwatering steaks from it.

Grill, covered. For 1 inch thick: 16 to 20 minutes (145°F medium rare) or 20 to 24 minutes (160°F medium). For 1½ inches thick: 22 to 25 minutes (145°F medium rare) or 25 to 28 minutes (160°F medium) Remove steaks from grill; cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Salting the roast and letting it rest uncovered overnight makes for deeper seasoning, plus a drier surface for more efficient browning. Slow-roasting in a low oven cooks the tenderloin evenly from edge to center.

Beef tenderloin roast is best served rare or medium-rare with an internal temperature at between 125°F and 135°F, respectively. Use a meat thermometer to determine if the roast is done, and remember that the temperature of the meat will rise under the broiler and as it rests before serving.

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.

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.

Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking such as broiling, roasting or grilling. Choice beef is high quality, but has less marbling than Prime. Choice roasts and steaks from the loin and rib will be very tender, juicy, and flavorful and are suited for dry-heat cooking.