Frozen Beef Tenderloin

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Laurajb

Assistant Cook
Joined
Mar 9, 2020
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1
Location
MA
I have a piece of beef tenderloin in the freezer (raw) from Christmas dinner. I had cut about 1 1/2 off a larger piece. How can I cook this in my instant pot? Ideas?
 
Hi and welcome to Discuss Cooking [emoji2]

Please don't cook it in the Instant Pot. The IP is great for making long-cooking dishes like beans, stews and tough cuts of meat (pork shoulder and beef chuck), but it's not good for tender cuts that are best cooked quickly.

Sprinkle the tenderloin with salt and pepper. Wrap a slice of bacon around it and secure a with a toothpick. Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the bacon for a couple of minutes on all sides, then sear the meat for a minute or so on each side. Tenderloin should be served medium-rare to medium. Enjoy.
 
Hi Laura. I 100% agree with the above from GG^.
I cook mine like that all the time, and it's a perfect method. Instead of using a toothpick for the bacon, you can tie it with butcher twine, or use a silicone band if you have them.
I'm so glad you didn't ruin such a special piece of meat in an Instapot, and welcome to Discuss Cooking.
 
Last edited:
Hi there and Welcome!

Oh dear, 3 of us jump in with the same response! LOL

Tender-loin is called that for a reason. So you do need to cook it quickly. But you do also need to season as there is no natural fat threading thru it ergo lack of taste and need of bacon. Sort of peculiar, the most expensive part of the beouf is actually pretty tasteless, go figure!

Wish I'd been at your house for Christmas dinner with Beef Tenderloin! Sounds wonderful!
 
My answer is similar to the others, but just a bit different.

Cut the tenderloin into half inch thick rounds. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Fire up the charcoall grill. While the coals are getting hot, mince thinly slice one sweet onion. Heat a saute pan, or skillet with butter. Place the onion slices on the heated pan and cook for 1 minute over mediu-high heat. Turn and repeat. Remove from the pan. Use one burger-sized portabella mushroom cap for each tenderloin steak (called a tournedo), invert, and drizzle melted butter into the gills. Many people remove the gills. I don't. Season with salt on both sides.

Place the tournedos over the hot coals and cook for two minutes per side. The dripping fat from the bacon will create smoke to flavor the meat. Cooc the mushroom caps, gill side down, over the hot coals at the same time.

Remove the tournedos and mushroom caps. from the grill. Place the cooked onion on top, and then top that with the mushroom cap. If you want, you can drizzle steak sauce on top, but this doesn't really need it.

Option 2:
Same process, except you will cook the food under a broiler.

Seeeeeeya; Cief Longwind of the North
 
This recipe from Alton Brown is one of my favourite ways to cook beef tenderloin. I don't use all of the black pepper. Just cut it back to something that looks reasonable to you, when it's on the steaks.

Steak au Poivre
 
I get one every once in a while, in fact there are a couple halves in the freezer right now.

I trim it myself, and the fat gets cut up and fried for a long enough time to get me suet.

I make the filets about 5-7 ounces.

You save a few bucks a pound trimming it yourself. Plus you get the suet.

I am not sure what i have in stock, I think two halves. I also have some filets cut all nice.

T
 
I grilled one last night after cutting up a few steaks for the freezer.

Id suggest never, ever putting nice, expensive cuts of meat like tenderloin and ribeye into an Instant Pot. Its the tool for cheaper, tough cuts.
 
"Id suggest never, ever putting nice, expensive cuts of meat like tenderloin and ribeye into an Instant Pot"

It took me years to get used to frying things in a pan. Now I do it even with a filet mignon. Now I do it with no grease or oil and use white chardonnay to deglaze the pan for a pretty good sauce usually.

Otherwise I prefer it about 73 seconds on a hot grill and then 50 seconds after flipped. I mean HOT here.

It would be nice to buy another one but the freezers are full. I just want one not trimmed, with plenty of fat on it for suet.

We have used that meat for other things. Steak sandwiches or one. Philly like, fried mushrooms, sauteed' onion, cheese and I personally put a bit of mayo on mine.

Also just for a stir fry.

They just don't like steak here, any ideas welcome.

T
 
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