Sunday Tenderloin Experiment...

I had a great fall weekend hiking about and wasn't home long enough to plan a nice BGE cook.  On the way home Sunday afternoon, though, I decided something needed to be cooked on the egg and I didn't want to just do a quick steak or fish grill.  BUT, it was too late in the day for a low and slow...what to do?!?

So, what do you do when you want to be off the grill in 60-90 minutes, but still want that slow cooked tenderness and lump or smoke flavor?

I decided to stop at the food store and see what looked appealing.  I grabbed a small uncut tenderloin.  The bad thing was that it was one of those pre-marinaded ones which I tend to avoid, but this is all they had.  So I decided to try a lowish and slowish cook of that.

I got it home, dumped it out, dried it off and hit it generously with olive oil and my own dried spices.  My intent was to grill it at 250, indirect until I hit 145 degrees and see how it looked.  Just an experiment, you see, and I had some chores to do so i didn't plan on babysitting it.

Temp was more 280 -290 most of the cook and it hit 145 within 45 minutes.  I took it off, FTC, while I got the rest of the meal ready.  During that time I cranked up the egg so that I could give it a quick sear.  In hindsight, yes, I should have taken it off at 120 and then hit is with a longer sear, but... last minute, no planning.

Pictures are below, but here is my take on the cook;

1) I don't like the pre-marinaded meats.   There is something common about all of their flavors like they are pumped full of saline or something.  Just doesn't taste right.  That aside...
2) Beef was tender and flavorful.
3) Was amazed with the smoke ring I got on such a short cook.  I cooked it over FOGO and threw in some wood chunks.   I think I should have left out the wood chunks as while the smoke did not taste bad, it did overpower the taste of the beef, for me.   Nobody else complained but I can see where that flavor is better on a beef or pork you cook to a bark.

Not bad.  Would do it again, but would pull earlier, reverse sear, skip the wood.

I guess though, if you are going to cook a beef tenderloin like a pork tenderloin...just buy the friggin' pork instead!    )

Beef on the grill...


When it hit 145 degrees.  Before searing;


Nice smoke ring for a short cook-