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Beef tenderloin

So I have to do 3 large beef tenderloins for sunday lunch and it will be my first time trying them on the BGE. I am kind of a novice on the BGE , i have a alot of success with Ribs, Flank steak, Pizza, and steaks.  I am nervous about screwing this up for the family so I am hoping for some tips. Let me know which way to go please!!

Comments

  • TonyA
    TonyA Posts: 583

    Tuck the tail under and tie the roast at 1.5 inch increments. Rub with garlic, salt, pepper and rub it liberally with room temperature butter (you can also put minced garlic in the butter if you really like garlic).

    Cook indirect at 275-300 deg until roast registers 120 deg at the thickest part. It's fine to have it in a pan at this stage. I've done it with and without - just cover your place setter if without.

    Remove from heat and remove place setter, replace rack on fire ring and clean/oil. open vents full and allow temperature to rise to 650 degrees for at least 5 minutes. Brown on all sides about 2 mins/side - lid open.

    Allow rest for 15 minutes. Remove twine and slice in 1.5 to 2 inch steaks.  It should be perfectly medium rare almost right to the edge.  I serve with either an herb butter or Bernaise sauce.

     

  • TonyA
    TonyA Posts: 583

    I got this more or less from either Cooks Illustrated or Bon Apetit  (i can't remember which) a few years ago.  I don't think I changed much.

  • jrog74
    jrog74 Posts: 42
    What got me interested in the egg was a beef tenderloin. I had it just like Tony described and it is great stuff. I do not know if it had butter rubbed on it pre cook though might have been EVOO. 
  • BRush00
    BRush00 Posts: 367
    I do more or less the same process as TonyA however there are a couple alternatives:

    1)  Instead of tucking the tail of the roast up, you can cut it off (like myself).  Save it, and use it in things like fajitas, quesedillas, etc.

    2)  I actually prefer to do things the opposite way around.  I put my grid extender rack down in the egg, and sear the outside of the roast first.  Then I pull it out, add the platesetter, and once the egg stabalizes down around 250 or so put the roast back in and leave it alone until the temp's around 120.  Don't worry about the egg taking too long to come down in temp, when you add in the cold platesetter, it soaks up ALOT of the heat, brings the temp down pretty quickly actually.  Just make sure you close the vents down to make sure your temp stays down.

    3)  I like a Blue Cheese & Shallot Butter instead of bernaise sauce.
    [Insert clever signature line here]
  • What kind of time frame am I looking at? I cannot wait to give it a go!!

      Thanks for the input!!

  • You could hot tub the whole deal for an hour and a half and do a 450* sear/roast till you get to your desired temp.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • CPARKTX
    CPARKTX Posts: 2,095
    I haven't tried this on the BGE yet, but I've done beef tenderloins this way a bunch on my offset firebox smoker and it is amazing:

    http://www.food.com/recipe/drunk-dirty-tenderloin-180325
    LBGE & SBGE.  Central Texas.  
  • TonyA
    TonyA Posts: 583
    edited November 2012

    Average size roast is going to be a little inside an hour at 300 deg .. The searing portion going to take about 25-30 mintues for all 3. BRush00's method is probably quicker as long as you get the temp down.  I would sear them one at a time though ... you will crowd the grate and lower the temp otherwise.

    +1 on bluecheese with shallots.  I'll eat that anytime.

    Another fun thing to top with and also provides some good crunchy texture is fried red onion rings.  Keep them simple .. a little flour or corn flour and in the oil. on a towel and salt to taste. 

    Be sure to calibrate your thermometer!

  • I also like searing first and then roasting to 120*.  I normally will heavily salt and season, since tenderloin is very tender, but not the most flavorful, in addition to only being able to season the exterior perimeter.  I use salt, pepper, garlic & rosemary.  I stopped coating with oil to get a better sear and I'll make my compound butter, again with garlic & rosemary, and put it on the roast right after it comes off the egg and starts it's rest period.  Makes me hungry for some tenderloin

  • TonyA
    TonyA Posts: 583

    Sorry .. I said basically the same thing twice.. The searing part will take about 8 minutes per .. so plan on about 30 minutes there. plus the 15-20 minute rest. Lighting the egg to plating should be not more than 2 hours and 45 minutes.

    30 to light the egg. 30 minutes to sear, 15 minutes to get set up to roast, an hour to roast, 15 minutes to rest and 15 to serve.

  • @TonyA has the right technique (few of us have the hot tub expertise of Little Steven). I do mine indirect, 225-250, then direct sear after. 
    If you use anything other than salt, that is all herbs or sugars in a rub, they will char and burn if you sear first adding a much different result than a gentle slow cook followed by a sear. Some folks really like that, others not so much, to each his own. 

    The low and slow followed by a sear is similar to a sous vide without the hot tub. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • + 1 for Little Steven, I'm hooked on hot tubbing.  Makes everything easy and quick.
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    burr - Give steven a click on the "like".  He has a inferiority complex and that really is good therapy for his ego. :D
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • You just wait til I find out who gave me the four disagrees. I know it was you..or Cen-Tex...or Travis...or VI...or someone.

    @skiddy, fill pot with hot water, put meat in bag, put bag in water, remove bag from water, remove meat fom bag...cook. Not a lotta expertise there

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    You can go to your profile and click on the dislikes number and see who gave them to you.  And you'll note, I'm sure, 'twas not me.  If I dislike something enough, I'll post a smart-assed comment  as such.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • It would appear that I have somehow disagreed with my own self four times. Not really surprising sometimes the little voices start and stuff happens

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I clicked on your dislikes and it was DawgDays, Cen-Tex (twice-he must really not like you) and joejoeshooter.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Almost all my dislikes are egger in la.  (sigh). 
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Who is joejoeshooter...I don't even know him.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    You said you were Santa.  He disagreed with that.  Reasonable disagreement.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • You haven't seen my picture have you. I look just like him without the beard and long hair

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I have. You're on the "other" forum.  In your profile.  I don't know how Santa looks without the beard and long hair, so I couldn't say.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Sunday night update:  Tenderloins turned out fantastic!!  Did 3 larger tenderloins for about 1 hr and 15 min until temp got up to 120 in thickest part. Took them off and let the Egg heat up to 650. REMINDER BURP THE EGG!!!  I lost a good portion of my eye lashes and eye brows when I opened the lid to fast!!!  Got a little flustered afterthat and forgot to take pics!!

     

    Sorry but thnks for all the help!!