Beef tenderloin can be roasted with a dry rub or marinated for added flavor. Chefs often sear it before roasting and use a meat thermometer to ensure it’s cooked to medium rare. Pork tenderloin is a cheaper alternative. Both can be stuffed and rolled before roasting.
Roast beef tenderloin is by far the most recommended way to highlight its tenderness and juiciness. Many chefs start by roasting beef tenderloin with a dry touch of seasonings. These flavor enhancers could be as simple as salt and pepper, or more complex, like rubbing garlic cloves and onion into the skin, followed by a sprinkling of cumin or paprika. Because it’s already tender, this cut of meat shouldn’t be tapped with a meat mallet before cooking.
Although considered the tenderest and leanest cut, the tenderloin is not the tastiest. Instead of a dry rub, some douse the meat in a marinade to impart more flavor. These marinades can be themed to go with various side dishes, such as an Asian-tinged ginger, soy, and garlic marinade, with a little oil to keep it coated. Common marinades for roasting beef tenderloin might include ingredients like mustard, brown sugar, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, soy, citrus juice, and fresh herbs like cilantro and basil. This coats the meat in a covered bowl that is refrigerated for at least an hour or overnight at most.
When it’s time to roast beef tenderloin, gourmet chefs often sear it in a hot, lightly oiled pan, perhaps with a few sprigs of herbs, as the oven heats to about 500°F (233°C). After all sides are lightly crisped, the beef should go onto a baking sheet and into the oven. Often, cooks immediately lower the oven temperature to 450°F (about 230°C) when the meat comes in, which should cause the meat to take at least 15 minutes per pound to finish. When this roast is 145°F (about 63°C) inside, it will be medium rare. To properly measure this, many will insert a meat thermometer into the tenderloin as it enters the oven and then simply monitor the thermometer until the meat has reached the desired temperature.
A popular and cheaper alternative to roasting beef tenderloin is to use the same cut of pork. This pork tenderloin is just as tender, though similarly lacking in flavor compared to other cuts. For both of these roasts, chefs attempt to up the fancy factor by cutting them into quartered panels, lengthwise, and then filling the pleats with various ingredients such as stuffing, cheese, and vegetables. The tenderloin can then be rolled up, put together and roasted as usual.
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