T-Bone Tries Tenderloin
I hope I am not a traitor straying into beef, but Sentry had beef tenderloin on sale last week and I couldn't resist. I also saw them being smoked on BBQ All Stars last month so I thought I'd give it a try.
I chose a 2.5 pound tenderloin and rubbed it with Szeged's Steak Rub (we already like their rib rub). I put it in the refrigerator to sit for about 4 hours. Two hours before cooking, I added some worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and a little cabernet. I brought it to room temp before cooking.
I used hickory wood for the smoke flavor and got the grill to about 265 degrees. I read a recipe for tenderloin by Dr. BBQ and he suggested a temp of 375. I've decided to ignore most of the recommended temperatures and just make sure the meat is cooked to the right temp when completed. This means I am winging it for cooking times too.
Master Joe-Be-Wan's last post about an hour per pound of pork +1 was interesting. Are you saying that the pork will reach the desired temp in that last hour of smoking OR that regardless of how soon you reach the desired temp, you are just going to smoke the hell out of that meat? This seems to be my main remaining source of confusion.
As for the tenderloin, I read that 135 would be medium rare. I went to 150 and it seemed medium to me. The flavor was good, the meat tender, and with my sauteed 'shrooms and onions, and a cherry tomato salad---a quite satisfying meal. (I don't soil a good piece of meat with A-1 Andiken).
I chose a 2.5 pound tenderloin and rubbed it with Szeged's Steak Rub (we already like their rib rub). I put it in the refrigerator to sit for about 4 hours. Two hours before cooking, I added some worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and a little cabernet. I brought it to room temp before cooking.
I used hickory wood for the smoke flavor and got the grill to about 265 degrees. I read a recipe for tenderloin by Dr. BBQ and he suggested a temp of 375. I've decided to ignore most of the recommended temperatures and just make sure the meat is cooked to the right temp when completed. This means I am winging it for cooking times too.
Master Joe-Be-Wan's last post about an hour per pound of pork +1 was interesting. Are you saying that the pork will reach the desired temp in that last hour of smoking OR that regardless of how soon you reach the desired temp, you are just going to smoke the hell out of that meat? This seems to be my main remaining source of confusion.
As for the tenderloin, I read that 135 would be medium rare. I went to 150 and it seemed medium to me. The flavor was good, the meat tender, and with my sauteed 'shrooms and onions, and a cherry tomato salad---a quite satisfying meal. (I don't soil a good piece of meat with A-1 Andiken).
5 Comments:
At 7/17/2006 12:01 PM,
tkrimms said…
Looks yummy!
At 7/17/2006 12:16 PM,
Andakin said…
My wife will be my witness when I say that I no longer use A-1 on my steaks.
I don't want to be accused of trying to be Joe-Be-Wan here but as far as the timing goes, the estimates that are given (1-1.5 hours per pound of pork) are how long it should take for the meat to get to the proper tempertature. Joe-Be-Wan's +1 hour method is just his way of estimating the time.
At 7/17/2006 12:25 PM,
T-Bone said…
The consensus in the family is that there is no cut of meat more disgusting looking than an uncooked beef tenderloin.
At 7/17/2006 1:11 PM,
tkrimms said…
Yes, I am proud to say he no longer uses A-1 sauce :P
At 7/17/2006 9:02 PM,
Joe-Be-Wan said…
Good job, T-bone.
A few points on tenderloin: it is the most tender of beef cuts, so usually doesn't require "low and slow". It is also very lean, again not requiring the slow cooking.
Rubs work very well, and it is often recommended to "overdo" it somewhat, as you can form a very tasty crust on the meat, similar to pork shoulder.
the hour per pound + 1 is only in reference to pork shoulder.
There is a skill to tying tenderloin- it has a thin tail which can overcook b/c the rest is thicker- there is a technique in Cook's Illustrated that shows how to tie the tail around so you get a uniform piece of meat.
Keep it going. We need to get the Moist Heat 2006 on the books.
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