Whole beef tenderloin tips

Mr_eggers

I been wanting to try a whole beef tenderloin for a while picked one up yesterday. Would like to throw it on tomorrow. I'm looking for tips on cook times and temps followed a few threads I found on here and a lot of the knowledge seems inconsistent. It weighs 16lbs and I know I will need to tie the small end up to make it the same width all the way across. If I'm wrong or there better way to do please let know.

Legume

Tip #1 do NOT overcook it

Legume

I rarely cook a whole one intact, even on my XL. Prefer to cut in half and cook two halves side by side to better manage and ensure nothing is out near the edge where all the heatness is.

Mr_eggers

I saw a thread where a person did that makes sense that way. Insure to not overcook the small end 

billyray

I used to buy whole filets from Costco and cut them into steaks and freeze. Thinner ones for my wife and thicker for me. She always had some left over and since they were past medium, I didn't want to finish hers. So we had another couple over last night and I took a whole filet and cut a section that would give us each a 2" piece, knowing the ladys would only want a thin slice and us guys would get a thicker piece. Cooked at 300 on raised grid, had a CI griddle on the spider below. Pull at 110-115 and rested. Removed the grid and opened up the vent, got to 600 in a matter of minutes. Seared 90 seconds on each quarter turn (total of 6 minutes). Pulled and it was 125-130, tented and rested for 10 minutes.

I had seasoned with worcestershire sauce and my espresso-cocoa rub. After the rest, set it on a board sauce of EVOO, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Sliced two 3/4" pieces for the women and guys each got pieces over 3" thick. The result was no left over pieces and everything was a perfect medium rare. Personally I don't care much for filets, as they don't have much flavor, so we made a gorganzola cream sauce that was great and had some left over dressing and VI's jalapeno cream corn.

 

tjv

Find out how your guests like their meat.  Cooking it whole is no good if most like it medium plus. Yes, there are folks who eat steak other than rare..........lol.

I am not a fan of big steak cuts on any grill.  I'd rather see grilled serving portions.  This way you get the full affect of the sear, char on all sides....

@billray, I dig the pics.

t 

billyray

tjv said:

Find out how your guests like their meat.  Cooking it whole is no good if most like it medium plus. Yes, there are folks who eat steak other than rare..........lol.

I am not a fan of big steak cuts on any grill.  I'd rather see grilled serving portions.  This way you get the full affect of the sear, char on all sides....

@billray, I dig the pics.

t 

Have a cast iron pan ready on the stove and if someone wants it past medium-rare, just throw it in the pan, flip and cook so the pink is gone and everyone is satisfied.

Teefus

The last time I did a whole tenderloin I cut the thin end off so I had an even diameter roast about 18" long. I soaked the roast in Cabernet and rolled it in cracked black pepper and a little Kosher salt.. I roasted it indirect on my Weber kettle, and added a good sear at the end.  We carved at the table. It was awesome.

Mr_eggers

Teefus said:

The last time I did a whole tenderloin I cut the thin end off so I had an even diameter roast about 18" long. I soaked the roast in Cabernet and rolled it in cracked black pepper and a little Kosher salt.. I roasted it indirect on my Weber kettle, and added a good sear at the end.  We carved at the table. It was awesome.

Do you remember roughly how long it took?

Teefus

Mr_eggers said:

Teefus said:

The last time I did a whole tenderloin I cut the thin end off so I had an even diameter roast about 18" long. I soaked the roast in Cabernet and rolled it in cracked black pepper and a little Kosher salt.. I roasted it indirect on my Weber kettle, and added a good sear at the end.  We carved at the table. It was awesome.

Do you remember roughly how long it took?

I don't. There were a couple few cocktails served. It seems to me it didn't take that long as I had the roasting temp jacked up pretty high. Also, the meat was room temp when I dropped it on the grille. When the meat thermometer showed rare I spread the coals out and seared it all the way around then pulled it and let it rest.

mEGG_My_Day

Are you sure it is 16 lbs ?? That is a massive tenderloin - normally after trimming I get 4 to 5 lbs.

Regardless - make sure to pull that thin end back and tie with butchers twine.  I then tie about every inch.  I use salt and pepper only.  Cook indirect at 250 - 275 till it gets about 5 degrees from your desired internal temp.  Pull it and let it rest about ten minutes.  While this is happening, fully open up all vents on egg - get that thing as hot as you can.  Then sear about a minute or two on all sides - done. 

I some times split it in half so I can cook to two different temps for different guest preferences -  like this..

Mr_eggers

mEGG_My_Day said:

Are you sure it is 16 lbs ?? That is a massive tenderloin - normally after trimming I get 4 to 5 lbs.

Regardless - make sure to pull that thin end back and tie with butchers twine.  I then tie about every inch.  I use salt and pepper only.  Cook indirect at 250 - 275 till it gets about 5 degrees from your desired internal temp.  Pull it and let it rest about ten minutes.  While this is happening, fully open up all vents on egg - get that thing as hot as you can.  Then sear about a minute or two on all sides - done. 

I some times split it in half so I can cook to two different temps for different guest preferences -  like this..

Cook with folded side up or down or does it matter?

HoustonEgger

As others have said - trim so you have even thickness for even cooking. I’ve use Alton Brown’s Salt Crusted Beef Tenderloin recipe in the past with great results. I’ve done the recipe more then a few times - great for a make ahead dish for a party, when you want to be doing other things rather then watching the BBQ like a hawk. This will work great on an XL or a Large - on either I would recommend halving the tenderloin to ensure you are out of the main heat zones. 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/beef-tenderloin-in-salt-crust-recipe-1942597

mEGG_My_Day

Cook with folded side up or down or does it matter?

Doesn't matter in my opinion 

Sea2Ski

My wife likes it more done than I do. I like mine rare.  Low at 225F indirect, reverse sear, and I do not tie the tail. I think it took about 1:20 total.  The thicker end is more rare and the tail is much more cooked when done this way. I then take a slice from the appropriate side per the persons request. Or somewhere in the middle...

My latest effort searing and plated  

AlbertaEgger

I don't tie at all, the last one I had was so tender that the string would have cut right into the meat.

I did 300F to 110F, let rest for 10 and then seared at 500 to 128.

I

500

Thread rehash;
Doing whole tenderloin for 8 Christmas Day. Picking it up at Costco or Fresh Market. I’m not sure but I think only fresh Market has Prime. I may cut it into the Chateaubrion cut. No I don’t know how to spell that. 

billyray

Our Costco has prime and it's up to $27.99/lb.

500

billyray said:

Our Costco has prime and it's up to $27.99/lb.

Holy Cow. Cheaper to get Prime cut steaks at Sam’s for like $19 a pound. 

billyray

Just went back to Costco today and the whole prime filet that was $27.99/lb. yesterday is now $29.99/lb. WOW!!

500

I just checked Fresh Market online.  Whole Prime Tenderloin is on sale now for $21.99/#; $2 off.  Premium Choice is $15.99/#.

DoubleEgger

billyray said:

Just went back to Costco today and the whole prime filet that was $27.99/lb. yesterday is now $29.99/lb. WOW!!

That’s a joke for Costco prime. 

500

I verified the $29.99/# price at Costco, then went to Fresh Market and got A 6.1# whole prime for $21.99/#.  They trimmed and tied it for free. She showed it to me before wrapping it up, and I asked if she would trim the silver skin as well. She took it back and trimmed and tied again. Then got a separate bag with the chain and trimmings. Went for a dozen Atlantic oysters while I was there for $.79 each.