Whole beef tenderloins are on sale this week at Shoprite! They're $4.99/lb where they're normally $6.99/lb, for a 4-8 lb tenderloin.
Does anyone have any good recipes I can do with these? Just something basic for everyday consumption would be perfect, but something that requires a little work would be good too.
For the parts of the tenderloin that I don't use straight away, is it OK to freeze the remainder?
A good beef tenderloin is best lightly seasoned, then seared in a pan to seal in juices, and roasted in a 350 degree oven until the desired doneness is reached. If you don't already have one, get one of those digital probe thermometers, definately worth the ~$25 you'll spend.
You can freeze what you don't use, wrap it in foil, then place the foiled up meat into a ziplock bag. The combination will prevent freezer burn to the meat. Also get as much air out of the bag as you can.
>>2
Sorry to go on a tangent, but how do you know exactly how much to season meat? Mine tends to end up tasting a touch too watery or salty, or too peppery.
Takes notes
What should I season it with? Just salt and some black pepper? Or can I try with other seasonings I use for beef (I was thinking on something that had no garlic or garlic powder so my GF could eat it; she is allergic to garlic) like some paprika, a little bit of crushed rosemary?
As for pan-searing, how long should I sear it and at how much heat? Do I have to do the whole tenderloin at once? It's too big to fit in a pan.
As for the oven, how long should I cook it if I want this sucker to be rare, just barely cooked through?
>2
It's really a matter of personal taste, but the big thing is until you figure out how much you actually like, use exact measurements. Get a set of measuring cups and spoons. For a decent sized steak I'd never use more than a tablespoon of seasoning. You can mix your seasonings, but the more variety you add, the less you use.
MJP
Gragh, I meant to plug in my name in the earlier reply, anyway.
Salt and pepper really works best on a good tenderloin. The point of it is more to enjoy the meat then coat it with A-1 and stuff. Paprika tastes a bit off on beef, at least for me, I find it favors poulty better, and deviled eggs. Rosemary is good though, just give it a good rub onto the beef. Sear it at a medium high heat, and just until it starts to brown. As long as you can move it from the pan with no sticking, it's ready to flip. You do have to do the whole amount you intend on eating at once, but if your pan is too small, cut it down to the portion you want to give yourself and your lady. Cook time in the oven for barely not moving, well, all ovens vary but a good estimate would be about 10 minutes, fifteen tops. Still, I wouldn't trust that and definately invest in the digital thermometer. Most have an alarm that you can set to go off at a specific temp, and you want to remove the meat about 10 degrees cooler then the final temp, because it keeps cooking while it rests.
Many, many thanks. I think I might have missed the sale, though; I'll check it out on my way home tomorrow. If I don't cook the tenderloin right away, can I freeze the raw tenderloin?
Any suggestions for pork tenderloin? I know that's on sale this week, so I'll probably make with the get on that.
Absolutely, just have to use the trick I mentioned earlier with the foil and ziplock bag to keep it from getting gross.
Pork tenderloin can be cooked in a similiar fashion, but pork can be a pretty bland meat. Might be best to poke around some recipe sites for a good glaze or seasoning combo to go with it.