Beef Tenderloin (eye fillet)

[Konfident Kook]

Hi! I'm cooking a 3kg whole tenderloin (we call it eye fillet in Australia), by searing the outside quickly then baking on a rack at 190 Celsius.  I have read that for rare I should allow 15-20 mins per 500g of meat (so 30-40 per kilo) - has anyone out there cooked a whole fillet that weighed 3kg, and if so how long until centre reached about 55-60 degrees C? Looking forward to hearing from like-minded beef eaters! 

[rotuts]

if you do not have a thermometer  ( of any kind  but the thermopen is very nice if you can afford it )

 

consider adding this to your 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batterie_de_cuisine

 

Im sorry Im no help with the timings.    and the meats rests after you take it out of the over and the temp/doneness will still climb

 

good luck and Bon Appetit 

[Smithy]

I agree with rotuts that a meat thermometer is very important.  That said, I think if you want it rare you'll need to pull it at a lower temperature (I would shoot for 45 - 50 internal temperature, knowing that it will continue to cook after you pull it out of the oven - and that means less time.  The geometry of the meat makes a difference, too:  a cut with a thin cross-section will cook much more quickly than one with a thick cross-section.  I state the obvious here as a lead-in to saying that I'm not sure I understand the cut you're cooking.  Is it more or less the shape of this one? That roast was what we call a prime rib, somewhere in the 2.5 - 3kg region.  If that's about the right shape, and if you like the final appearance, I can give more detail about what I did.

 

Oh, and by the way - welcome to eGullet, Konfident Kook.  

[suzilightning]

agree with Smithy....

on or off bone (prime rib or filet)

if on bone I agree with the above

if a filet I live to lightly sear it on all sides, secure tarragon around it with twine then roast low ans slow - 250 F for about 3 hours; let rest for about 45 minutes before slicing.

[Deryn]

I have never tried to cook a tenderloin as large as yours but, for a tenderloin/eye fillet about half the size, this is how I would cook it: 

 

Tie it up so it is an even thickness for the whole length (in other words make sure the tip is tucked under and secured), rub with salt and pepper, wrap it up tightly to set the shape, refrigerate for a few hours, remove the wrappings and bring to room temperature, and then sear well on all sides (including the ends). If you are crusting it with mustard and herbs or something similar, do that just before you put it in the oven.

 

I would preheat the oven to 475-500 degrees Fahrenheit and when I put the meat in (with the rack positioned at the center height), I would drop the setting to 400F. Cook about 15-18 minutes TOTAL (not per pound) till it registers 120 degrees internal temperature for rare (I would take it to medium rare personally - to approximately 125 degrees) and then let rest for a minimum of 15 minutes tented before serving.  You may have to adjust the timing for a larger cut of meat, especially if it is thicker rather than just longer than a smaller one might be but I would expect it to be more done than rare if you cook it for 15 minutes per pound which is what you say you have been told it needs.

 

If you don't have a thermometer (they are cheap and I recommend you get one before you cook this because you have an expensive cut of meat and don't want to ruin it, I would guess!), then I suppose you could gauge the doneness by pressing the meat as you would a steak or cut into it a bit to see if it meets your desired results.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Deryn (log)

[rotuts]

remember to remove all of the ' silver skin '  a thin tendon, even as it wraps itself into the TL itself.

 

then you flip the tail over so the whole Bazzoka is a uniform thickness, the the whole thing up so it looks " plunp'

 

this allows the meat to keep its shape.  leave the string on until carving.

 

pics would be nice to see  

 

[lesliec]

Smithy, us Antipodeans would probably also call that a prime ri, or perhaps a standing rib (provided it still had the bone in).  The sort of thing Konfident Kook is talking about can be seen in the second photo in this post by somebody you may know.

 

KK, welcome to eGullet.  I can't add to much to the good advice above, other than to say that fillet is great fun to unleash technology on, should you be so inclined.  It's very rewarding to cook sous vide (say around three hours at 54 Celsius) then blast in hot rice bran oil.  The tail Rotuts mentions can be folded back and attached firmly with meat glue (transglutaminase - use the search box at the top of any eG page if you're not familiar with it) or, even better, cut off and top-and-tailed with a second one, also with the assistance of meat glue, to form a nice even-shaped minifillet.