Let's face it: Nothing breaks the heart like badly-cooked beef. Fear not, though — these tips and tricks will help you rustle up beef tenderloin like the best of 'em.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00Let's face it, nothing breaks the heart like badly cooked beef. Fear not, though. These tips
00:05and tricks will help you rustle up beef tenderloin like the best of them.
00:09If you say tenderloin, most people will assume you're talking about beef. But steers aren't the
00:13only animals with a tenderloin muscle. Your average butcher shop or meat counter is also
00:18likely to offer pork tenderloin and even chicken tenderloin, otherwise known as chicken tenders.
00:23Both of these meats are exactly as tender as their name suggests.
00:26But even if you zero in on beef from the get-go,
00:31there are a few missteps you can make at the starting line. First off,
00:34it's important to know the difference between beef tenderloin and filet mignon. The latter
00:38is the tenderest part of the tenderloin, located at the very end of the muscle,
00:42and is generally the most sought-after part of the cut. It's usually more expensive than
00:46other cuts of beef and can also be confused with other, less tender beef filets if you
00:51don't examine the packaging carefully. Even after you've found the right cut in the butcher case,
00:55there are a few things you can check for to ensure you've got the best of the best.
00:58Matthew Kreider, executive chef of Steak 954, suggests,
01:03"...always buy your steaks from someone you trust. I prefer not to buy mine from big-name grocers.
01:07Find a butcher or a grocer with a good program that can tell you where your steak is coming from."
01:12Meanwhile, Aki Suzuki, general manager of American Cut,
01:15notes that you can guarantee an even more flavorful steak by looking for a bright red color,
01:20with fine marbling. Once you've found the perfect steak, it's time to get cooking, right?
01:25"...I'mma fire up the grill and all set!"
01:28Well, not quite. Depending on where you bought your beef tenderloin,
01:31it may require a bit of trimming first. Often, beef tenderloin is sold already cleaned or even
01:36sliced into medallions ready for cooking. But a whole beef tenderloin includes not just the
01:40tenderloin itself, but also a fair amount of silver skin and excess fat, not to mention
01:45the chain muscle. All of this must be trimmed before cooking. If you've got the whole thing,
01:49about 30 percent of the tenderloin will need to be removed before you even start cooking.
01:54Obviously, that may seem like a lot of extra work, as well as quite a bit of waste for a
01:58cut that tends to sell for a whopping $30 a pound. But don't even think about throwing
02:02these valuable pieces of meat away. While they might not cook up quite like beef tenderloin,
02:06there's loads of flavor in these trimmings. The chain muscle can be chopped and sautéed
02:10to be enjoyed in steak fajitas or a Chinese takeout-inspired beef and broccoli stir-fry,
02:15for example, while the other trimmings can be used to make stock, broth, or ground into burger meat.
02:20Lean beef trimmings also provide a decent start for your next sauce.
02:24Consider using them to make a rich, delicious no-drippings gravy to serve with your tenderloin,
02:28or cooking them down into a luscious au jus.
02:31Once you've trimmed the tenderloin, there's another essential step required to get it
02:35ready for cooking — tempering. Many chefs agree that beef is happiest when cooked not
02:39from fridge temperature, but rather from room temperature. This helps ensure even
02:43doneness throughout. While the thought process behind tempering beef certainly makes sense,
02:47not all experts are in agreement about it. A little while back, Serious Eats tested
02:52this theory by bringing one steak to room temperature before cooking it
02:55and cooking another from fridge temperature. They found that it barely made a difference
02:59to the doneness of each. And if you ask the USDA, from a food safety perspective,
03:04you never want to leave any meat out of the fridge for longer than two hours.
03:07So when it comes to this tempering tip, feel free to follow our experts' advice if you like.
03:12But if you forget, don't worry too much.
03:14Depending on how you're cooking your beef tenderloin, you may want to break out the
03:17butcher's twine before getting started. Aki Suzuki points out that tying your roast will
03:22help it cook evenly, though adds that this method is only really necessary if you're
03:26cooking the tenderloin as a whole roast. He says,
03:28For filet mignon, tying is usually unnecessary unless you want to maintain a perfect round shape.
03:34That said, Matthew Kreider says that a more uniform shape isn't just about aesthetics.
03:38He claims that a nice, round shape can also contribute to a more uniform cook, adding,
03:43You can cook these steaks without it. However, it can be a nice touch.
03:46So how do you go about this? You'll want to tie loops about every inch,
03:50using one, continuous strand of butcher's twine. It can take a bit of time to get the hang of it,
03:54so it's best to rely on an expert like Martha Stewart,
03:57who has a great video showing you how to manage this at home.
04:00So this is how you do it. Isn't that nice and neat?
04:04If you find yourself at a loss, a good butcher should be able to take care of this step for you,
04:08which is all the more reason to seek out a top-notch vendor when sourcing your beef tenderloin.
04:13Beef tenderloin is a very tender steak, of that you can be sure. But as is often the case,
04:18its tenderness is inversely related to its richness in flavor. To put it bluntly,
04:22beef tenderloin can be a bit blander than some of its more marbled cousins. As a result,
04:27it's even more important to get a lovely brown char on the outside of the steak
04:31than it is with other cuts of beef, as the Maillard reaction will help bring out even
04:35more of its flavor. The one thing that has the potential to get in your way? Moisture.
04:39Vanessa Parrish, private chef and executive director of Queer Food Foundation, explains,
04:44"...you do not want that layer of moisture between the sear and the steak. It causes
04:47that moisture to evaporate once it hits the skillet and can turn your steak gray.
04:51I hate to see a steak lose that nice crust opportunity."
04:54So be sure to pat your steak dry thoroughly with paper towels before cooking it,
04:58or do as Matthew Kreider does, and go one step further. He says,
05:02"...I like to air dry my steaks overnight so they get a much nicer crust.
05:06This can easily be done by placing the steak on a rack set over a baking dish
05:09and setting it in the fridge overnight."
05:12Beef tenderloin is a relatively lean cut, which means that it can be a heart-healthy choice.
05:16But from a flavor standpoint, if you're looking to bring out all of its richness,
05:20adding a bit of fat never hurts.
05:24"...butter."
05:27While Matthew Kreider claims that you don't need a lot of fat to cook tenderloins,
05:31he does note that finishing with a bit of fat adds loads of flavor. He says,
05:35"...I love to baste mine in some brown butter with a garlic clove and thyme."
05:38And gilding the lily with a round of compound
05:41butter is a great way to push its tastiness up to 11.
05:44Kylene Gusso, executive chef at Lafayette Steakhouse in Miami, Florida, agrees. He says,
05:50"...since these cuts are very lean, it is advisable to add some fat, such as butter or oil,
05:54to prevent them from drying out during cooking and to enhance their flavor.
05:58Personally, I love using butter to enhance the rich flavor of the steak."
06:01But while butter may well be the perfect finishing fat,
06:04it's actually not the best choice when it comes to cooking the steak itself. For that,
06:08you'll want to use a fat that can stand fairly high temperatures, such as canola or avocado oil.
06:13These fats have a high enough smoke point to achieve the perfect sear on your steak without
06:17burning it. The last essential element when it comes to getting the perfect crust on the
06:22outside of your steak is the temperature at which you cook it. Cooking beef at a
06:25fairly high temperature is the best way to get a lovely browned exterior, explains Matthew Kreider.
06:30This goes especially when it comes to leaner steaks like tenderloin,
06:34which are easier to overcook than fattier steaks such as ribeye. Kreider says,
06:38"...I always cook leaner steaks like this quickly so as not to overcook them and to get a nice sear."
06:42Aki Suzuki agrees, noting that he prefers a double-barreled approach when cooking beef
06:47tenderloin. He suggests,
06:49"...start with a high temperature to sear and create a crust, then finish at a lower temperature,
06:53in the oven, to ensure even cooking."
06:56Using a cast iron skillet is probably the best approach here,
06:59as they are known for their ability to retain high temperatures.
07:02Given the mild flavor of beef tenderloin, it's essential to season it well with salt and pepper.
07:07As a rule of thumb for seasoning steak, a tablespoon of salt for every pound of meat is a
07:12good bet. But when should you do this? Some prefer to season their meat hours or even two days in
07:19advance. This approach ensures that the salt will penetrate the crust and into the meat itself.
07:24But if you haven't had time to season quite that far in advance,
07:27be warned. There's a window where seasoning early can actually cause you problems.
07:31By and large, if you season up to 40 minutes before cooking, you're probably in the clear.
07:35Any later than that, however, and seasoning early will only bring moisture to the surface
07:40of the meat, making it difficult for the perfect brown crust to form. If you haven't had a chance
07:44to season your beef tenderloin well in advance, it's best to season just before cooking.
07:49No one likes overcooked steak, but it's particularly unappealing when it comes to
07:53beef tenderloin, since the cut's lack of fat can make it doubly dry if too well done.
07:58And to add insult to injury, its lack of fat makes beef tenderloin even more susceptible
08:02to accidental overcooking than many other cuts of steak. Matthew Kreider says,
08:07"...it can be extremely easy to overcook these steaks. There is not a lot of fat in them,
08:11so they will cook faster and rest further than, let's say, a strip loin or a ribeye."
08:15You can use a meat thermometer to gauge whether beef has reached the ideal medium-rare temperature,
08:20130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Vanessa Parrish offers another suggestion, though. Cooking
08:26tenderloin as a roast, which she says can be more forgiving than cooking them from start to finish
08:30in a pan. Once you've cooked beef tenderloin to perfection, it can be tempting to dig right in.
08:36Resist that urge, though. It's essential that any cooked steak rests before carving to ensure
08:40that the juices can redistribute inside the meat. Matthew Kreider tells us,
08:44"...always rest your steaks. Please always rest your steaks. Your steak deserves it.
08:49You deserve it. It will be so much more tender and juicier if you let it rest."
08:53As for how long to rest your meat, Aki Suzuki recommends at least 5 to 10 minutes,
08:57though the actual time can depend on the size of the steak. Thinner cuts can rest for a mere
09:025 to 7 minutes, while thicker steaks and roasts may need to rest 10 minutes or up to 20.
09:07As a rule of thumb, Kreider recommends a resting time of between a third and half
09:11of the original cook time. Tenting steak loosely with foil will keep it from going cold without
09:16allowing too much moisture to build up and softening that crispy crust you worked so hard
09:20to develop. While the steak rests, you've got just enough time to whip up a delicious sauce.
09:28Purists may scoff, but a top-notch sauce can push the flavors of mild-mannered beef tenderloin to
09:33total perfection. Matthew Kreider even terms this particular steak a sauce sponge, noting that a
09:39wide variety of sauces can suit it perfectly. Some of the best sauces to serve with beef tenderloin
09:44are pan sauces, which take full advantage of all of the flavorful fond left in the bottom of the
09:48pan after cooking. Bring up this fond using cognac for the beginnings of a classic au poivre sauce,
09:54or use red wine and cook it down by half before emulsifying it with butter to make a tasty red
09:58wine reduction.
10:00You know what? I am gonna have that third steak after all. Go ahead and put that order in now,
10:04please and thank you."
10:06But pan sauces aren't your only option. Horseradish-infused creme fraiche is a
10:10classic sauce to serve with roast beef that goes just as well with beef tenderloin,
10:14while a classic béarnaise sauce adds all the richness this steak needs to take it to the
10:19next level. If you want something a bit lighter, an Argentinian-inspired chimichurri
10:23complete with fresh herbs and acid can be the perfect pairing.