BEEF TENDERLOIN ROAST
A beef tenderloin always signals a special occasion, like when your mother visits for Christmas as was the case here. I’m always a little nervous about overcooking this beautiful cut of meat, but I grilled it using my low and slow method with a reverse sear and it turned out perfectly.
I’m fortunate enough to have a neighborhood restaurant that makes a really good bordelaise sauce, and they let me buy a small container of it. The sauce really made the beef extra delicious, so if you live within driving distance of a good steakhouse or french restaurant you should do the same. Just call and ask them! Making this sauce takes a long time so this was a big time saver.
As with almost all meat, you should dry this well and salt it the morning of the day you plan to cook it. Set it on a rack that is set inside a sheet pan and place in the fridge uncovered all day. Before you plan to grill this, please take it out of the fridge two hours in advance to allow it to completely come to room temperature. I promise, you will not drop dead from doing this. But if you do, you didn’t get this idea from me…
I served this with a potato gratin and salad. 😋
This makes 4 servings for people who aren’t afraid of eating. 6 servings otherwise.
INGREDIENTS:
3LB. beef tenderloin roast, trimmed and tied
kosher salt & pepper
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
Large heavy-duty foil pan
Bordelaise, or other sauce (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
The morning you plan to make this, dry the tenderloin really well with paper towels. Place it on a wire rack that is set inside a sheet pan. I line the sheet pan with foil first. Salt the beef really well (around 2 tbsp.) with kosher salt. Place in the fridge uncovered all day.
Take the beef out of the refrigerator two hours before you plan to cook it. After two hours, pat it dry with paper towels. Season it again with another tbsp. of kosher salt and with fresh ground pepper all over. Place the beef in a heavy-duty disposable foil pan. Prepare a charcoal grill by lighting a chimney filled half way with charcoal briquettes. When they become hot and start to turn white on top, layer them on the bottom rack of the grill evenly. Place the top grates back on the grill and allow the grates to heat with the lid closed and then wait until the temperature drops back down to 300 degrees. Any hotter and it will cook too quickly. Place the foil pan in the middle of the grill and close the lid. Cook for 45 minutes. Test with a thermometer and continue to cook until it registers 130 degrees. Before removing from the grill, add butter to the pan and allow it to melt, flipping the meat around in the melted butter.
Remove from the grill and cover with foil and allow to rest while you add more coals to the grill. Wait until the temperature is up to 400+ on the grill, with the coals lifted close to the top grates. Now turn the meat around in the pan again with the butter. Remove from the pan and sear the beef directly on the hot grill for just a minute or less on each side until it starts to sizzle and form a brown crust. Remove back to the disposable pan, cover with foil and let it rest just 5-10 minutes before slicing. The meat has already rested once so you don’t have to wait as long.
Remove the string, slice thickly and top with whatever sauce you choose, or not. Finish with flake salt.