Tenderloin/chateaubriand-how long to sear for rare/med rare

[Twisted Martini]

So i came out the pocket and bought a 3.5 lb chateaubriand for 7. Gonna hit it with cow crust, low n slow on the Traeger to 120 and then sear it on my Egg. My question is, how long to sear? Seems like 5 min on each side would take it beyond the rare/med rare i am shooting for. I certainly don’t want to overcook this thing! Thanks for the tips.

[Steve B]

If you’re looking for rareish I would pull it off at 115*
Get that egg ripping hot and sear it as close to the coals as possible.
BUT do not sear it for 5min a side. You will kill it. 😬
Maybe 5-7min total turning every 45 to 60 seconds.
I know others will chime in as well.
Good luck brother. With the advice you get here you’ll be fine.

[rodkeary]

Personally I’m not normally a tenderloin/filet type guy but I have done plenty of these for friends and family over the years.

I always front sear and then bring up to whatever internal temp you are shooting for, perhaps a few degrees under to allow for carryover. It sounds like you are not going to do the traditional Chateaubriand when you wrap the tenderloin in pastry, mushrooms, shallots etc. That is what I have always done so the front sear was the only way to go. 5 minutes a side is definitely excessive and would ruin a beautiful hunk of meat. I’d hate to see that occur.

Good luck.

[Dewesq55]

That's not a Chateaubriand. That's Beef Wellington. It can be done with the cannon (Chateaubriand) or the whole tenderloin, or any portion thereof.

[rodkeary]

You are indeed correct. My error. The recipe I use is from a VERY old Epicure magazine that just refers to it as Chateaubriand. Still, I should have been more on the ball. Thanks,

[MBMorgan]

Just keep it moving while searing. I wouldn’t let it sit for more than about 30 seconds on any given side before turning.

[fzxdoc]

^This

[Henrik]

+1

[surfdog]

I agree with the others...5 min per side to sear is WAY too long. I’d be moving that thing every 30-45 seconds. Just sitting for 5 minutes could be disastrous.

[efranzen]

According to my notes, I smoked this for about an hour to 120 and then seared for 3 minutes per 1/4 turn. A little too done, but still quite edible. I will definitely pull at 115 next time and shorten the sear.

[Troutman]

Another trick is to bring it to that 115* or even 120* level , then let it rest for as much as 30 minutes to relax the proteins and let it cool before you sear. Sous vide que is done by chilling even further. Good luck !!

[Henrik]

I’m with Troutman here. I’ve improved the reverse sear with what I call "wait for the dip", ie rest it before searing. Once meat temp drops a degree or two, then you can sear. Helps prevent overshoot/carryover.

[Ahumadora]

+1 On this For the reverse sear give it more time to cool before hitting the coals.

[IowaGirl]

Figured this technique out somewhat by accident. I wanted to smoke some tenderloins ahead of time and then finish them right before dinner. I smoked the meat to 115F the day before the meal, chilled the tenderloins in the fridge, then seared them right before dinner, flipping often. I was worried because the centers were at fridge temp, but it worked beautifully -- nice crusty outside with medium rare in the center.

[Twisted Martini]

Just a follow up and thank you for all the input. I ended up smoking on the pellet pooper until 115, then yanked and let rest for 30 min. Carryover took it to 122 before heading down. BGE was blazing at 600, seared each side for a minute and then pulled it and sliced. It was perfectly rare. Also crushed a bearnaise using clarified butter and a hand blender. Merry Xmas y’all, hope your feasts were as good as mine!