Enjoy delicious beef tenderloin steak at home

Tenderloin is the highest quality cut of beef suitable for steak. It can be expensive to eat at a restaurant, but if you grill beef tenderloin at home, you can enjoy this premium cut at a reasonable price.

This time, we will learn about the characteristics of beef tenderloin and show you the key points to cooking a tender and juicy beef tenderloin steak!

Learn about the characteristics of fillet meat to make it taste delicious!

Fillet is loved by red meat lovers. It is a cut that is not only tender but also has a rich meaty flavor, and is also famous as a high-quality cut. First, let's learn what kind of cut fillet is specifically and why it is so high-quality.

Characteristics of fillet meat

Tenderloin, also known as "fillet," is a cut of beef called "tenderloin" in English and "filet" in French. Found along the backbone of a cow, it is a precious cut that accounts for only about 3% of the weight of the cow. Not only is it plentiful, it is also almost fat-free, tender, and allows you to enjoy the rich flavor of the red meat.

Chateaubriand, known as a rare cut, is also a type of fillet. Chateaubriand makes up only about 0.5% of a cow. If you like red meat, you can't go wrong with fillet! We recommend making it into a steak or roast beef, which allows you to enjoy the meat's simple and direct flavor.

How to cook beef tenderloin steak to make it tender and juicy

When it comes to cooking premium cuts of beef, you don't want to make a mistake. Beef tenderloin is tender, so it's best to slice it thick to enjoy its texture and juiciness. Here's how to cook thick-sliced ​​beef tenderloin steak until it's tender and juicy.

Tips for frying in a frying pan

Tip 1: Remove from the refrigerator 15 to 30 minutes before baking and return to room temperature

Allow the centre of the meat to return to room temperature to prevent uneven cooking and ensure the meat is cooked through.

Tip 2. Wipe off any excess moisture and add salt and pepper just before grilling!

The deliciousness of steak depends on how well it is browned. To ensure that it gets a good browning, be sure to wipe off any moisture on the surface of the thawed beef with kitchen paper or similar.

After that, season the meat with salt and pepper, but since salt will remove moisture from the meat, try to add it just before cooking.

Tip 3. Sear the surface over high heat

Heat a frying pan over high heat, add oil, and wait until a thin layer of smoke appears before starting to cook. Cook the meat until it is coated on the front, back, and sides with the browning. You can use salad oil, such as the one you normally use for cooking meat or fish, or even olive oil if you prefer. However, if you use sesame oil, the flavor may be overpowering, so we recommend using an oil with as little of a strong aroma as possible.

Tip 4. Adjust the cooking time to achieve your desired doneness

Once one side is golden brown, flip the meat over, but you can adjust the cooking time to your liking. It depends on the thickness of the meat, but for a fillet that is about 2 cm thick, cook it for 1 minute each on the front and back for rare, 1 minute 30 seconds for medium rare, 2 minutes for medium, and 2 minutes 30 seconds for well done.

Tip 5. Let the meat rest

We all want to eat a hot, freshly cooked steak, but when you cut into a freshly cooked steak, the juices will spill out. The flavor and nutrients will escape along with the juices, so if you're using a thick fillet steak, cook it on both sides, then wrap it in aluminum foil and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

This will help seal in the juices.

You can't go wrong with a low-temperature cooker!

Cooking meat in a frying pan involves many steps and may seem difficult. However, if you use a low-temperature cooker, anyone can cook it to their desired doneness! Low-temperature cooking prevents the meat's protein from solidifying too much and maintains a temperature range that kills food poisoning bacteria. This means that meat will not harden even if heated for a long time, and can be safely and tenderly cooked.

Since the beef is heated in a hot water bath, you will need to degas it by placing the thawed beef in a vacuum pack or heat-resistant bag, but after that, all you have to do is place the meat in water that has reached the set temperature and wait.

In the case of beef, if you want a 2cm thick piece of beef cooked to a medium-rare state (cooked through but pink when cut), by heating it at 58°C for 2 hours, you can reduce the number of bacteria to less than 1/10,000, even if bacteria have penetrated the inside of the meat.

To finish, brown both sides in a frying pan with hot oil such as salad oil or olive oil to create a juicy steak that is cooked evenly all the way through!

Even if you don't have professional skills, you can cook beef in a low-temperature cooker to produce safe and tender meat.

It can be purchased for just a few thousand yen, making it a recommended cooking tool for anyone who wants to enjoy delicious meat.
(Reference: BONIQ "Low Temperature Cooking Heating Time Reference Table" https://boniq.jp/pdf/ttguide.pdf )