by Lynn Greene
Cut above: Beef tenderloin a good deal and great steak
I couldn’t help myself. “Why is this so cheap?” I asked
as I checked out at the grocery store the other day. I
had just placed two packages of whole beef tenderloin on
the checkout counter. At $4.98 a pound, I would make room
in the freezer for it.
Being skeptical of good deals is a habit of mine at the
grocery store. Oh, I know how leader-sales work. The store
advertises an item on sale and customers flock in to take
advantage of the price; at the same time, they’ll pick
up a basket of other (regular-priced) items at the same
time. If the store is selling the item at a loss, the sale
is called a loss-leader. Stores do this to get customers
in the store, figuring they’ll make up the loss on other
items.
Tenderloin normally sells for $7.98 or more a pound, so
I couldn’t help but ask the question, because in this case,
I didn’t see it advertised. Unadvertised specials usually
mean there’s too much on hand and the store needs to sell
it cheap to get rid of it. A sale like this can also mean
that the item is nearing its expiration date.
None of this is the reason beef tenderloin is such a good
deal right now. The price of almost all goods, food included,
is based on the demand. And the demand for beef tenderloin
is way down. That makes it a good deal right now.
For the most part, demand is down because the home cook
doesn’t know what to do with it. The price on this cut
of meat has always been high, so most cooks on a budget
stayed away from it. Now that it’s more reasonable, the
average grocery shopper isn’t even looking at it.
Restaurants don’t seem to sell as much of it as they used
to either. There was a time when beef Wellington, which
is cut from the tenderloin, was the thing to dine on for
New Year’s Eve. When’s the last time you saw that? It all
adds up to falling prices.
Let’s start by explaining what this cut of meat is. The
tenderloin is a very desirable cut because it is very lean
and very tender, coming from the short loin. Filet mignon
steaks are cut from the tenderloin. Other cuts may be called
bifteck, chateaubriand or tournedos.
Because this cut is so lean, tenderloin steaks are best
cooked hot and fast. Marinades can add to the flavor, but
if you don’t have time for that, a dry rub will add additional
flavor. Tenderloin should never be overcooked because it
will lose its tenderness. Do not bother cooking a tenderloin
for a group of guests that like their meat well done! Make
a pot roast for a group like that.
The tenderloin is a long piece of meat with the fibers
running the length of the cut, which can be 15 inches to
20 inches long. Normally, you’ll see it folded over and
packaged that way. The cut is thicker at one end than the
other. Filet mignon is cut from the large end of the tenderloin.
Chateaubriand comes from the center and is the most tender.
Tournedos are cut from the smaller end of the tenderloin.
A whole, trimmed tenderloin will weigh 6 pounds to 8 pounds.
Trimming a tenderloin is easy, so if you can get it untrimmed,
you’ll usually save even more money. To trim beef tenderloin,
start by removing the silvery skin. This cooks up very
tough and makes dealing with the tenderloin difficult.
This is similar to removing the membrane from ribs. Try
using a paper towel to get a good hold of it while you
use a knife to lift it away from the meat. Then remove
any excess fat that might be hanging loose.
You can cook the tenderloin whole and then slice it or
you can cut it into steaks and cook it that way. I usually
combine the two, cutting the steaks from the thicker end
and freezing the other half of the tenderloin to cook on
the grill later.
If I’m cooking the tenderloin as a roast in the oven,
I take the thinnest portion of it, cut it in half and then
tie the two halves together to make a nice even, round
roast. This helps it cook more evenly.
Beef tenderloin with mushroom wine sauce
Whole, trimmed tenderloin
3 cloves garlic, crushed
Fresh ground black pepper
3 Tbsps. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsps. butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Sauce:
4 Tablespoons butter
12-16 oz. fresh mushrooms, mixed (button, shiitake,cremini
and oyster)
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Cut the tenderloin in half. Place both halves together
and tie with cotton twine. Crush the garlic and spread
over the tenderloin. Place in an oven-proof saute pan and
sprinkle with black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Let
rest at room temperature for about an hour. Add 2 tablespoons
of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the saute pan.
Melt the butter and oil and brown the tenderloin on all
sides before placing in a preheated 475 F oven. Do not
cover.
After 20 minutes, turn the heat down to 425 F and continue
to roast the tenderloin to an internal temperature of 120
degrees. Remove from the oven and transfer the roast to
a serving platter and cover, letting it rest an additional
15 minutes. Reserve the pan with its drippings. The roast
will continue to cook during this time and the temperature
will rise another 10 to 15 degrees. In the meantime, make
the sauce.
In a separate saute pan, melt 4 tablespoons butter and
saute 12 to 16 ounces mushrooms.
Place the saute pan used to cook the roast on top of the
stove and add 1 cup good red wine to deglaze the pan. Cook
for about 5 to 7 minutes until the wine becomes almost
syrupy. Dissolve 1 Tablespoon cornstarch into the beef
broth and add to the wine in the pan. Cook over medium
heat to thicken. Add the sauteed mushrooms. Keep warm on
low heat.
To serve, slice the tenderloin into thin slices. Top with
a tablespoon or two of the mushroom wine sauce.
Tenderloin steaks
If you want to cut your tenderloin into steaks, start
by laying the tenderloin out lengthwise. Cut 1.5-inch-thick
sections. Steaks that are 1 inch or less thick are harder
to cook to the right temperature. If you want the steak
to keep its form a little better, you can tie each one
with a piece of cotton twine. As with any steak, sear it
over a high temperature for about 1 minute per side — whether
you are using a grill, a broiler or a fry pan. Reduce the
heat and continue grilling until done. Depending on the
thickness, the remaining cooking time can be anywhere from
about 2 minutes per side to 5 minutes per side.
Professional cooks and chefs can tell by touch when a
steak is cooked to medium-rare, medium and so on. If you
push down on the center of the steak, remember how the
“give” feels and then cut into it to see the redness level.
Try and remember to equate the two sensations the next
time you cook a steak and pretty soon you’ll be pretty
good at it, too. Otherwise, use a thermometer to get the
temperature right (see related graphic).
Allow steaks to rest for about 5 minutes. The temperature
will rise about 5 degrees after you take it off the grill.
Serve with sauteed mushrooms.
Editor’s note: Lynn Greene is senior editor for Community Shoppers Inc., which publishes the Janesville Messenger. Contact her at lgreene@communityshoppers.com |
