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Beef tenderloin disappointment

burr_baby33
burr_baby33 Posts: 503
edited January 2012 in EggHead Forum
Cooked a beef tenderloin for guests on new years eve. Tied the small end for a consistent cook, salt, pepper and a little EVOO. Seared, cooked with lid down and pulled at 125 and rested for approx 10 minutes. It was cooked to perfection and carved beautiffly. After bragging to my friends about BGE cooking, my tenderloin was pretty tasteless. We were at my lake house in Jamestown, KY where I have a large BGE. There is a small grocery there with an old fashion butcher area in the back. I ordered the meat from the butcher and he told me he would thaw one for me. Could the problem be it had been frozen? It was wrapped in shrink wrap plastic and angus was printed on the plastic. In the past I have gotten excellent meat from this butcher but not this time. Any ideas?

Comments

  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    We did the same thing at Christmas but used a rough cracked steak seasoning liberally on the whole tenderloin. It was fabulous. I suspect you may have needed more seasoning. How much salt and pepper did you use?
  • Did you let it come up to room temp before you put it on? Also, did you let the salt sit on it a while as it was coming up to temp? Salt needs to sit on the meat to draw out moisture so it will mix with some of the salt and return to the meat.

    Being that there is so little fat on a tenderloin it is critical to get flavor into the meat.

    Sarasota, FL via Boynton Beach, FL, via Sarasota, FL, via Charleston, SC, via The Outer Banks, via God's Country (East TN on Ft. Loudon Lake)
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    tenderloin IS tasteless. hence wrapping filets with bacon, topping with sauces, marinating, or even making a wellington (pate', mushrooms, etc.).

    it's the most tender cut, but generally has little 'beef' flavor due to the limited marbling.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • 4Runner
    4Runner Posts: 2,948
    Need to go heavier on the salt, pepper and garlic. 
    Joe - I'm a reformed gasser-holic aka 4Runner Columbia, SC Wonderful BGE Resource Site: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm and http://www.nibblemethis.com/  and http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2006/02/recipes.html
    What am I drinking now?   Woodford....neat
  • rodent
    rodent Posts: 106
    Agree with stike - tenderloin is tender but has little fat to give great flavor.
  • ChokeOnSmoke
    ChokeOnSmoke Posts: 1,942
    Tenderloin has always been way down on my list as far as good steaks go.  Like others have said "no fat = no taste".
    Packerland, Wisconsin

  • A good, tender cut but mild.  Coat with a thick rub the day before.
    My actuary says I'm dead.
  • onedbguru
    onedbguru Posts: 1,647
    For Thanksgiving, we did Steak au Poivre (seared w/rough cracked pepper in a Cognac cream sauce cooked med rare) that was simple delicious!!! 
  • about to cook a tenderloin this weekend.  Wanted to do a rib roast but several members of the dinner party just had one recently and requested tenderloin.  Anyone have a good recipe??
  • If the tenderloin isn't already clean, you'll have to remove the chain and silverskin (if you didn't already know).  Heavy salt then regular seasonings of your choice.  Mine were granulated garlic, fresh ground pepper, and rosemary.  My gauge for "heavy" is the outside is white with salt until absorbed, but it is not caked on. (visual estimate is about 3x what I think I should use?)   Let it sit overnight or for 3-4 hours before the cook.  I roast mine indirect at 400* until internal is around 110-115, and then I open the vents until it hits 120-125 to get a nice crust.  Good Luck! 
  • If the tenderloin isn't already clean, you'll have to remove the chain and silverskin (if you didn't already know).  Heavy salt then regular seasonings of your choice.  Mine were granulated garlic, fresh ground pepper, and rosemary.  My gauge for "heavy" is the outside is white with salt until absorbed, but it is not caked on. (visual estimate is about 3x what I think I should use?)   Let it sit overnight or for 3-4 hours before the cook.  I roast mine indirect at 400* until internal is around 110-115, and then I open the vents until it hits 120-125 to get a nice crust.  Good Luck! 
    Do you get a salty taste using this method?
  • Absolutely not.  I started reading about this method early last year and decided to give it a try. (Also found info on encrusting the meat for an hour or so and then rinsing, but I didn't want to waste that much salt!) This is the science I (loosely) recall. The salt draws the moisture to the surface while it rests, and when you put it on the grill the heat from the downside draws the (seasoned) moisture from the top into the meat as it cooks so you are theororetically seasoning the meat through.  Also, you have to think that the amount of surface area you are salting on a whole tenderloin is small as compared to salting each individual steak if it were cut and cooked from the same.  Just a few thoughts.  If you're tentative about 'trying' it out on a whole filet, it works  the same way with steaks as well.  Good Luck!
  • Thank you.  i am going to put this method on the "gotta try it" list!
  • Another thing to consider (steaks or roasts) is that when you season with a dry rub, try to dry off the meat with paper towels and let it sit on your counter to come to room temp.  Don't coat with oil for the seasoning as the oil will act as an insulator and keep a nice crust/sear from happening.  The meat is plenty moist even after drying with paper towels to hold seasoning.   
  • A couple of weeks ago I did a beef tenderloin that we bought from BJs. This package had two I think they were 2lb pieces of meet merinated in some kind of merinade. I really didn't want to grill them but I did and they turned out excellent. I believe I grilled them at about 350 degrees with the platesetter and it took around 10 minutes or so to cook. I will buy these again and grill them!