Beef

Steak School: Beef Tenderloin

Name: Steak School: Beef Tenderloin
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 2–4
Cuisine: Barbecue
Ingredients: Beef tenderloin (Vessel Meats); Newfoundland Seasoning Steak & Burger

Buttery, lean beef tenderloin seasoned simply and grilled over Kingsford charcoal on a kettle grill for steakhouse results in the backyard.

Time~30 min Prep10 min YieldServes 2–4 CategoryBeef Watch4:05

Steak School: Beef Tenderloin — watch on YouTube

Watch the full cook on YouTube

Method

1Season the beef tenderloin simply with Steak & Burger seasoning — this lean, buttery cut doesn't need much.Pat it dry first. Tenderloin's flavour is delicate, so a heavy rub buries the thing you paid for — salt, pepper and a simple blend is the right call.
2Light a bed of Kingsford charcoal in the Napoleon kettle grill.A full chimney of lump or briquettes, spread for even heat. Tenderloin is thick relative to its width, so you want a bed that will cook it through without scorching one face.
3Grill the tenderloin over the coals, turning as needed, until it reaches your preferred doneness.Turn onto every surface including the sides, not just top and bottom. Because it is round in cross-section, a tenderloin browns slowly for its volume unless you keep rotating it.
4Rest the steak so the juices settle, then slice and serve to see why tenderloin is one of the most sought-after cuts in the world.Rest 5–10 minutes and slice across the grain. Carryover on a thick piece is real — pull at 125–130°F for medium-rare and let it climb.

Watch it on YouTube

What each ingredient is doing

Beef tenderloin: The psoas major, a muscle running along the spine that does almost no work — which is precisely why it is the most tender cut on the animal and also the mildest tasting. Very lean, with essentially no marbling to protect it.
Steak & Burger seasoning: A simple savoury blend, and simple is correct here. Tenderloin's flavour is subtle and a complex rub covers it up rather than complementing it.
Charcoal: Spread rather than piled, for even radiant heat. A tenderloin is thick for its width and needs steady heat on every face rather than a fierce concentrated fire.

Temperature guide

Stage	Temp	What it means
Rare	120–125°F / 49–52°C	Where many prefer tenderloin, given how lean it is.
Medium-rare	125–130°F / 52–54°C	The usual target. Pull here and let carryover work.
Outer limit	135°F / 57°C	Past this there is no fat left to keep it moist.
Rest	5–10 minutes	A thick piece carries over several degrees.

Pitmaster tips

Tenderloin is the psoas major, a muscle that runs along the spine and does almost no work — that is the entire reason it is the most tender cut on the animal, and also why it is the mildest tasting.
It is very lean, so it has almost no fat to protect it. Pull at 125–130°F for medium-rare and treat 135°F as the outer limit; past that there is nothing left to keep it moist.
Season simply, as the recipe does. The flavour of tenderloin is delicate, and a heavy rub buries the thing you paid for.
Because it is thick relative to its width, it browns slowly for its volume. Get the grate genuinely hot and turn it onto every face — including the sides — rather than just top and bottom.
If you are cooking a whole tenderloin rather than steaks, tie it or tuck the thin tail underneath. It tapers hard at one end, and untucked that end is well done before the centre is warm.
This is the one cut where a wrap of bacon or a spoon of compound butter genuinely earns its place — not as decoration, but because the meat brings so little fat of its own.
Turn it onto every face including the sides. A tenderloin is round in cross-section and browns slowly for its volume unless you keep rotating it.
Tuck and tie the thin tail if you are cooking a whole one. Untucked, that end is well done long before the centre is warm.
This is the one cut where bacon or compound butter genuinely earns its place — not as decoration, but because the meat brings so little fat of its own.
Season simply. The flavour of tenderloin is delicate and a heavy rub buries exactly what you paid for.

If it goes wrong

It is dry: Overcooked. Tenderloin is the leanest premium cut on the animal and has no marbling to fall back on — every degree past medium-rare costs noticeably more moisture than it would on a ribeye.
One end was overdone: The tail. A tenderloin tapers hard at one end — tuck it underneath and tie it, or cook it as separate portions.
It browned unevenly: Not turned onto enough faces. It is round in cross-section, so top-and-bottom only leaves most of the surface pale.
It tastes bland: That is tenderloin — it is bought for texture, not beefiness. This is exactly why it is traditionally served with a sauce, butter or bacon that supplies what it lacks.
The crust is thin: Wet surface, or not enough direct heat. Dry it properly and get the coals genuinely hot before it goes on.

Ways to change it up

Bacon-wrapped: The classic, and it earns its place here rather than being decoration — the bacon bastes an extremely lean cut as it renders.
Compound butter: A slice of garlic and herb butter melted over the rested steak. Same logic as the bacon: adding the fat the cut does not have.
Reverse sear: Gentle indirect heat to 115°F, then a hard sear. Suits a thick tenderloin particularly well and gives an evenly pink interior.
Whole roast: Cook the whole tenderloin rather than steaks — tie it, tuck the tail, and treat it as a centrepiece roast. Same temperatures.
Peppercorn sauce: A cream and green peppercorn sauce is the traditional partner, and it does the same job as butter — supplying richness.

What to serve it with

A sauce of some kind — peppercorn, béarnaise or a red wine reduction. Tenderloin genuinely wants one.
Compound butter melted over the top if you would rather not make a sauce.
Roast or dauphinoise potatoes.
Something green and sharp: asparagus, or a salad with vinaigrette.
A good red wine; this is the cut to open something decent for.

Storage & reheating

Cooked tenderloin keeps 3–4 days refrigerated and is best sliced cold rather than reheated — it was cooked to medium-rare, so any real reheat takes it past that. Cold tenderloin on sandwiches or in a salad is genuinely excellent. If you must warm it, do it in seconds in a very hot pan, or covered at low heat with a splash of stock.

Raw tenderloin freezes for 6–12 months wrapped airtight, and it is a good candidate for it since whole tenderloins are usually bought on sale and broken down. Thaw slowly in the fridge — a fast thaw on the leanest cut in the animal costs moisture it has no reserve to spare.

FAQ

What is the difference between tenderloin and filet mignon?

Filet mignon is a steak cut from the tenderloin, specifically from the narrower end. Tenderloin is the whole muscle. Chateaubriand comes from the thick centre section. They are all the same muscle — the names describe which part of it and how it was portioned.

What temperature should beef tenderloin be cooked to?

125–130°F for medium-rare, and no further than 135°F. It is the leanest premium cut on the animal, so it has no marbling to fall back on — every degree past medium-rare costs noticeably more moisture than it would on a ribeye.

Why is tenderloin so expensive if it is not the most flavourful cut?

Scarcity and texture. There are only two tenderloins per animal, they are small, and the muscle does so little work that it stays exceptionally tender. You are paying for tenderness, not beefiness — which is why it is so often served with a sauce, butter or bacon that supplies the richness it lacks.

Should I sear tenderloin or cook it low and slow?

Either works, but a reverse sear suits a thick piece better — gentle heat to bring the centre up evenly, then a hard sear for crust. A straight sear is fine on thinner steaks. What matters most is not overshooting: tenderloin's window between perfect and disappointing is narrow.

Why is tenderloin so expensive if it is not the most flavourful cut?

Scarcity and texture. There are only two per animal, they are small, and the muscle does so little work that it stays exceptionally tender. You are paying for tenderness rather than beefiness — which is why it is so often served with a sauce, butter or bacon that supplies the richness it lacks.

Should I sear tenderloin or cook it low and slow?

Know your cook

More information, cause recipe back stories are stupid

No 500-word life story — just the good-to-know stuff on what’s actually in this cook. Here’s the rundown on every real ingredient, health and nutrition wise.

Beef: Beef is a complete protein and one of the best food sources of highly absorbable heme iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 — key for energy, immunity, and healthy blood. Fattier BBQ cuts are calorie-dense, so lean trimming and sensible portions keep it balanced.
Pork: Pork is a protein-rich meat that's especially high in thiamine (vitamin B1) — more than most other meats — plus B6, niacin, and selenium. Tenderloin and loin are lean; shoulder and belly are richer, so portion the fattier cuts.

General nutrition info only, not medical or dietary advice — portions, brands and add-ons change the numbers.