whole beef tenderloin

Unknown

Have to cook 2 whole beef tenderloins next weekend...need some advice how to do them on the egg...

WessB

I would do them hot and fast direct....rub em or flavor em any way you like cook em hot and turn them often...pull em a little short of your desired internal temp and you should be fine....

Crimsongator

Indirect set-up at around 350-375* until they reach the desired temp. You other option is to cut them into filets and do direct.

Crimsongator

Would you do them direct as a whole loin. I was thinking indirect and get to med-rare and pull. Then slice and serve.

stike

i'd get the temp up to 600 or so fairly quickly. roll the tenderloin from side to side about 60 seconds a side (to get some color). if it doesn't roll, the grid isn't preheated or you need to let it sear more.

when all sides are seared to your liking, toss in the plate setter and dial temps down quickly to 320, 300. let it cruise until it is 135 internal or so and take it out, let it rest.

might want to marinate it. not much fat (flavor) in a tenderloin

mad max beyond eggdome

i've done em like wess suggests. ..while a whole tenderloin may weigh up to 7-8 pounds, they are so long and narrow, you can do them direct and have them sear and finish nicely, bascally t-rex them. .. .one thing though, take the last 3 or 4 inches of the 'tail' and fold it back over and tie it off to the rest of the roast to get an even thickness throughout the length of the roast for even cooking. ...

or you can certainly cut it up into individual filet mignons ... .its all good so long as you don't overcook it ... .doesn't have a lot of flavor to start with. ..most expensive hunk of meat on the cow due to tenderness. . . .also the least flavorfull. .. .

Unknown

what about smoking a tenderloin?

WessB

I like a little char on beef...so yes I would...you can still easily get med-rare or even rare if you keep a close eye on internal temps....think "Thermapen"

WessB

Thanks..I forgot about folding the tail, it's been a while since I've done a whole one...and I couldn't agree more about it being the least flavorful...I cook Sally a filet and myself a ribeye quite often...

stike

sure. just smoke it til it's 135-140 internal

mad max beyond eggdome

i'd think if you tried to low and slo a tenderloin, with its lack of fat content, it would just dry out, even if you only took it to 135? ...yes/no??

Crimsongator

trust me, I am very fond of thinking "thermapen" Best thermo investment I've made

p.s. are you up for more chicken nachos at Atlanta. trying to gauge if they are worth doing again.

mad max beyond eggdome

hey, remember we are going with the team "mexico" theme along the back line in honor of beli this year, so bring those nachos on!!!

Crimsongator

I did not remember that. So jalapeno cornbread and bbq chicken nachos are in order.

mad max beyond eggdome

there you go!!!! :woohoo:

Little Steven

Max,

I agree. Low and slow works on muscle that get some work. Lean, tender meats just dry out with any slow cooking technique...even a crock pot.

Steve

Crimsongator

Are "we" coming up with anything special to wear for the occasion?

I figured I would annoy the locals with My gators shirt again.

stike

no

stike

not correct. correct, if you are taking it to an internal of 200

but half the folks in this country that gorge on "slow roasted "prime rib are eating stuff that roasts all day a 250 or so. it is a very common thing to roasts something at 250 then jack temps at the end to form a crust (as on a rib roast). sometimes, don't even need to do that final dry heat sear.

heating a tenderloin at 250 is not "barbecuing it" . it's coincidental that it is at 250 (bbq temps), but you are never taking it to the plateau, and certainly not even beginning to break down collagen. you'll also never have it on there long enough to dry it out by the time it hits 135.

the heat at which you cook something has less affect on dryness than the temp at which the meat itself is taken to

>>edited: that said, i wouldn't do it because tenderloin doesn't have much flavor. most of the flavor potential comes from the caramelized sugars during the sear, or a marinade. there's no real plus to going very low temps during the roast except (and this is why prime rib is often slow roasted) the gentle heat means much more even cross section of medium rare. like Trexing, or hot tubbing etc., a slow roasting temp will yield a more evenly cooked chunk of meat. i'd still spike temps at the end and sear it though. at 118, take it off and put the spurs to the fire, back on for a rolling sear (roll the tenderloin for 30+ seconds or so).

mad max beyond eggdome

you know, you're a pretty smart guy sometimes. ...

fishlessman

i would actually like to see what happens with a true low and slow on a tenderloin. i was told once here you couldnt low and slow a leg of lamb because it wouldnt pull, guess what, lamb will pull and if you liked mutton, you might actually like pulled leg of lamb :laugh: low and slow turkey is wet, not dry if cooked til the right temps. slow braised pork chops will eventually fall apart and thats some lean meat. i think theres a lot of ideas that float around here that really arent totally correct, that 4/40/140 rule is pretty easy to understand and yet misapplied so often its incredible. who wants to send me a tenderloin to see if i can make pulled beef from it :laugh:

mad max beyond eggdome

you know i haven't tried it yet, but somewhere i heard you could slo smoke flank steaks and they become fork tender ... havent' tried it yet, but i'm thinking that if it works and you can really infuse some good wood flavor deep into those things you'd really have something there!! . . ..

Unknown

please tell me at what temp would you do indirect? thanks for your input.......

Little Steven

stike,

As usual you are correct. I didn't think about the cook to temp. I have done pork tenderloins to 140* low and slow and they have been good.

Steve

stike

i'm not saying he should do a lo-and-slo (if that means "barbecue it to the point where it pulls"). if you mean "lo" at 250, and "slo" because it will take longer to hit say 120 internal, then it's a lo and slo, sure. but i am not advocaing smoking it at 250 until it is 200, then trying to pull it.

you can shred a pork tenderloin, why not beef? it just won't have any moisutre due to the lack of fat, and less because of the lack of collagen (to be converted to gelatin). it wouldn't be any good if taken to pulling temps (tenderloin, i mean). again, think of pork tenderloin. it absolutely CAN be taken to the point where it shreds. but it is dry and horrible because it's not re-wetted by the stuff that makes actual "barbecued" pork palatable.

ribs and butts are horribly dry and overcooked meat. thankfully, there's melted fat and collagen to makes us think it is moist (a little hyperbole, but closer to the truth than it is false)

WessB

Those things were incredible.....If we end up making it down there this year I would absolutely love some more...

stike

then why not try that with tenderloin?

smoke would add flavor....

stike

"as usual" pshaw!

just once in a while.

all of that aside, i'd still probably sear then slow roast the tenderloin. more likely, i'd cut it into steaks.

or make a wellington (hahaha) max was waiting for the wellington references i bet

mad max beyond eggdome

cause all you'd be doing is adding smoke flavor to a pretty dull, very expensive hunk of cow. . .i think on a tenderloin i'd rather add the 'grill' flavor and more traditional stuff like like garlic/salt/pepper, maybe some butter, etc. .. .

flank steak already has a really good beefy flavor ... i'm thinking that if it really takes to a lo and slo, that maybe it actually breaks down more and becomes more tender. ..not necessarily more flavorful ...

mad max beyond eggdome

what do you mean "IF" ?!??!?!!!??

WessB

It's not in the cards as of right now...