How Do You Cook a Chateaubriand (Whole Tenderloin) on an Egg?

Dagman · December 2012

I want to make Chateaubriand (tenderloin) for Christmas dinner on my new Egg (that I am getting xmas morning). I have been looking for a recipe, but most I have seen say to cut the tenderloin into filets (not what I want to do) or to slow/med cook the entire tenderloin (definitely not what I want to do) . The advantage of cooking the whole tenderloin at high heat as opposed to cutting into filets is that you are cooking against the grain (as opposed to with the grain for the filet cut), so it takes longer for the heat to penetrate and this allows you to get a nice crust on the outside while still having med-rare meat on the inside. Does anyone have a Chateaubriand grilling recipe for high heat (500 - 600 degrees). I am not looking for sauces, etc, just simply temp and time for a given weight of tenderloin. Thanks

Little Steven · December 2012

Chateaubriand isn't a whole tenderloin but a cut from the tenderloin. The thickest part. It is normally grilled at fairly high heat 450* or more. Cook time will depend on the size and the temp you use and go to. 450 will cook a chateaubriand cut in about ten to fifteen minutes but it is best to go with temp.

nolaegghead · December 2012

If you cook it 450F or more, it's going to rise about 10 or more F after pulling off, so compensate for that.

If it's a brand new egg, I'd recommend burning some lump with everything in it (grate, plate setter if you have one, etc). Some people have reported odd tastes in their first cook.

BOWHUNR · December 2012

When I do whole tenderloins I season them and then give them a good sear at around 600 degrees. Pull it off and install the platesetter and drip pan. I cool the egg down to 350 degrees and finish roasting it till it hits 120-125 degrees internal (we like rare/med rare). Just remember it will gain about five degrees when covered and resting. Easy, peezy, Japaneezy.

Mike

BRush00 · December 2012

Dagman - I did a Chateaubriand a while back and it turned out wonderfully.

I season with S&P all over the meat, get the egg HOT, and put a smaller cooking grid in the egg, the rack's basically right on the coals.

Add the meat, and roll over the grid, searing all the way around - maybe 90-120 seconds/side. Once nicely seared, remove the meat, add in your platesetter/drip pan (if you want, don't NEED a drip pan, I just use it to keep the platesetter clean(ish)). and once the egg stabalizes around 300-325, add the meat (with thermo) and roast to finish.

It's actually a VERY easy cook, that I'm sure would impress the family for Christmas.

Now - You DID say you're getting the egg christmas morning, so I thought some 'slighly' off-topic tips would be good too.

Make sure somebody remembers to put (char)coal in your stocking.

after you've gotten the egg/table all assembled and ready to go, don't wait - LIGHT the egg... be patient with it, and play with the temperature adjustments.

If you're searing meat as the absolute first thing you do.... you're probably going to be in for a new gasket very shortly. just fyi ;)

SmokinDAWG82 · December 2012

I want to make Chateaubriand (tenderloin) for Christmas dinner on my new Egg (that I am getting xmas morning

don't wait - LIGHT the egg... be patient with it, and play with the temperature adjustments.

I agree on the don't wait, Start your fire a couple of hours before you start your cook. A new egg can give off a ceramic taste on it's first time out. I'd hate for you to start your fire and throw that expensive hunk of meat in there and it have a bad flavor. Start it up and let it burn play with adjusting the temp just don't let it go too high over your intended cook temp. Let the egg season a bit and you'll be very happy

Fidel · December 2012

SmokinDAWG82 said:

A new egg can give off a ceramic taste on it's first time out. I'd hate for you to start your fire and throw that expensive hunk of meat in there and it have a bad flavor.

I've never heard that before.

That explains why everyone has been so disappointed in the food at every single fest I've been to over the past 10 years, you know, where they use new eggs for all the cooks.

double · December 2012

Don't know if given that the eggs are now shipping with the high temp gasket if they still recommend that you keep the first 3 or 4 cooks at a lower temp...

Little Steven · December 2012

Fidel said:

SmokinDAWG82 said:

A new egg can give off a ceramic taste on it's first time out. I'd hate for you to start your fire and throw that expensive hunk of meat in there and it have a bad flavor.

I've never heard that before.

That explains why everyone has been so disappointed in the food at every single fest I've been to over the past 10 years, you know, where they use new eggs for all the cooks.

Never thought of that myself. Always learning bout stuff.

nolaegghead · December 2012

Not having been to an egg fest, I dunno how true that is, but in general, first time you get something brand new hot, funny smells can come off it. And there have been reports. I'd let it get hot and burn for a while before cooking on a new egg - why risk screwing up some good food? Heat at some temp above what you plan on using for cooking...maybe 30 minutes, then drop down to your cook temp and go for it.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/474378/new-bge-user-funny-taste-from-1st-cook

xraypat23 · December 2012

I'd do a reverse sear, but that's just me. Put it in the egg at 250-300 indirect, let it ride till the thinnest part is around 110. Pull it out, take out the platesetter, open up the egg, break out the hair dryer and put the cast iron grill down low. Super quick sear and it's ready for dinner.

Fidel · December 2012

nolaegghead said:

Not having been to an egg fest, I dunno how true that is, but in general, first time you get something brand new hot, funny smells can come off it. And there have been reports. I'd let it get hot and burn for a while before cooking on a new egg - why risk screwing up some good food? Heat at some temp above what you plan on using for cooking...maybe 30 minutes, then drop down to your cook temp and go for it.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/474378/new-bge-user-funny-taste-from-1st-cook

I was being facetious. No one ever complains about bad food at a fest.

Bad, chemical-like tastes, like that mentioned in the post you so conveniently linked to, are not a results of "a new egg" giving off "a ceramic taste".

I don't doubt that some new users experience an "off" flavor during their first or subsequent cooks, but that off flavor is not from the ceramics. It's usually (almost always from what I've experienced) from starter cubes or creosote from lump that is not completely carbonized and not from the egg itself.

Common sense should dictate that a person think "What in the ceramics could possibly give off the chemical taste?"

nolaegghead · December 2012

I agree with you. Ceramic was fired at thousands of degrees, there's no such thing as a ceramic taste or smell. Grates usually have a mill oil on them. These things sat around in a Mexican factory and a warehouse. It's obviously a good idea to bake it out the first time. Datz all I'm saying.

weredaone · December 2012

xraypat23 said:

I'd do a reverse sear, but that's just me. Put it in the egg at 250-300 indirect, let it ride till the thinnest part is around 110. Pull it out, take out the platesetter, open up the egg, break out the hair dryer and put the cast iron grill down low. Super quick sear and it's ready for dinner.

Hair dryer? I am assumimg you use the hair dryer and blow the air in the bottom vent to get the egg up to temp faster? Correct?

Eggcelsior · December 2012

weredaone said:
Hair dryer? I am assumimg you use the hair dryer and blow the air in the bottom vent to get the egg up to temp faster? Correct?

Correct. The forced air pushes more oxygen to the fire, causing it to burn hotter(and faster). BGE actually sells a battery-powered attachment to do just that.

The Eggcelerator:

Hair Dryers are much cheaper. Plus, at that price(>$100), you might as well get a Pit controller. They also used a forced air concept to control temps(BBQ guru and Stoker)

double · December 2012

My wife just used that as an excuse to buy a new hairdryer... the old one is now for the egg...

xraypat23 · December 2012

hair dryer works great! shop vac or leaf blower is even better! but watch for those flashbacks!

Eggcelsior · December 2012

xraypat23 said:

hair dryer works great! shop vac or leaf blower is even better! but watch for those flashbacks!

A leaf blower is also the quickest way to blow out any ash you forget to scrape out while trying a "speed lighting". It looks like a Big Green Volcano.

nolaegghead · December 2012

Eggcelsior said:

xraypat23 said:

hair dryer works great! shop vac or leaf blower is even better! but watch for those flashbacks!

A leaf blower is also the quickest way to blow out any ash you forget to scrape out while trying a "speed lighting". It looks like a Big Green Volcano.

Leaf blower and some fresh lump and you can smelt a batch of iron ore....

Eggcelsior · December 2012

.... Or replicate the surface of the sun. Toasty!

wnbasac · December 2012

just chiming in about the tenderloin.

anyone done a marinade & rub with the tenderloin?

Ok i got the sear then drop the temp down but should the temp be around 250-275 for a even cook?

Smoke?

oh and i should tie the small end up under the tenderloin also, right?

if i bacon wrap it then the sears is out??

last i guess i could cut the ends off and vacuum seal them and Q the center......

nolaegghead · December 2012

Take the tips, dice them up raw for a tartar to munch on while you're prepping dinner.

For me - bacon wrap or salt and pepper. No smoke, cook low and even, reverse sear.

wnbasac · December 2012

Ok thanks i just gotta do it and cross my fingers its all about live and learn

you guys Rock!

Happy Holidays to one and all

Dagman · December 2012

I followed BOWHUNR's advice, and it worked great. I ended up doing two tenderloins as our dinner group expanded from 10 - 15. Seared both sides at 600 for two minutes each side, rested covered for 15 minutes, then put back on at 350 until my I-Grill meat thermometer registered med-rare. Took off and served immediately - was excellent. Crispy on the outside, hot pink inside center. I plan to try the same with a Porterhouse.

tgkleman · December 2012

A little off topic, but my neighbor recommended "removing the chain" of a whole beef tenderloin and cooking it separately. Can anybody enlighten me on this?

tays44 · December 2012

You can get beef tenderloins a couple of different ways from the store. Costco sells a trimmed up tenderloin, as well as a 'drop' tenderloin, which is still in packer packaging, basically has been untouched since being removed from the carcass. The untrimmed version is cheaper. If you buy that, I would definitely remove the 'side chain/side muscle/chain' whatever you watn to call it. Also, remove silver skin that is under fat probably no further down the taper than the end of the ear muscle. Take out any hard fat, remove ribbon meat (can probably google it). Then you should be ready to go. I usually take the side chain, and if you have a small thin filet knife, can clean up excess silver and grill for a little appetizer.

Once you deem your tenderloin ready to cook, I do mine on egg at 315*. I do heavy salt, pepper rub with some olive oil. I pull at 135* and let stand for 20 minutes before slicing. I have also seared at high heat on my gas grill before putting on the egg, but I have found at that 315* number you get plenty of crust on the outside of the tenderloin.

BuckeyeBob · December 2012

Last time I bought the whole tenderloin at Costco, I did a before and after comparison on the weight and determined that after trimming, I didn't really save anything on a per pound basis versus buying their trimmed version. Keep in mind that it was the first time I trimmed my own and I probably over trimmed but came to the conclusion at it probably wasn't worth my time to trim my own.

tays44 · December 2012

BuckeyeBob said:

Last time I bought the whole tenderloin at Costco, I did a before and after comparison on the weight and determined that after trimming, I didn't really save anything on a per pound basis versus buying their trimmed version. Keep in mind that it was the first time I trimmed my own and I probably over trimmed but came to the conclusion at it probably wasn't worth my time to trim my own.

Totally agree. If you aren't very experienced in trimming beef, let the guys that do it for a living do it for you.

MaskedMarvel · December 2012

BuckeyeBob said:

Last time I bought the whole tenderloin at Costco, I did a before and after comparison on the weight and determined that after trimming, I didn't really save anything on a per pound basis versus buying their trimmed version. Keep in mind that it was the first time I trimmed my own and I probably over trimmed but came to the conclusion at it probably wasn't worth my time to trim my own.

I frequently grind the chain meat off the tenderloin to make tenderloin burgers and meatloafs (meatloaves?)... Cut out as much obvious fat and silverskin as you can, but don't overdo it. Delicious!

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How Do You Cook a Chateaubriand (Whole Tenderloin) on an Egg?

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