Perfect Roast Tenderlion of Beef

Don't even think about trying this without a good meat thermometer. Because there can be so many variables (size of roast, its temperature when you put it in the oven, the actual temperature of your oven) the meat thermometer is the only way to be sure of the final temperature.

Many stores will sell you the "butt end" only, which is the best half of a beef tenderloin (the other half has the tail, which tapers down in size, making even roasting difficult). Before trimming, you need about 1/2 pound per person, but you will need to buy the whole butt end. A butt end will serve 8 to 10 people. Sliced up leftovers make wonderful sandwiches.

Tell the butcher you want the roast very tightly trimmed and left whole. If you ask them to tie it for roasting, they may layer fat around the outside. It is a BIG FALLACY that you need fat for flavor.

Use a metal pan, spay it with Pam. Let the meat warm on the counter for at least 2 hours before you put it in the oven. Figure about an hour and a half for roasting, and 15 mimutes for resting the meat after you take it out of the oven.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. This will kill any bacteria that may have wanted to multiply on the surface of the meat. Put the roast in the oven, set your timer for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, turn the oven down to 300 degrees. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR. Set the timer for one hour. When the hour is up, put the thermometer into the middle section of the meat. If you want to serve it medium, remove it from the oven when the thermometer registers "beef rare", or 145 degrees. Cover the roast with foil and throw some towels (for insulation) on top of the foil. The meat will continue to cook. Check it 15 minutes later, it should be medium. If you want the meat more well done, leave it in the oven longer. If you take it out when the thermometer registers "beef medium" it will be pretty close to well done after resting. After the rest period, the meat is ready to slice and serve. I usually make the slices about 1/2 inch, just right for a serving. Put it on a pretty platter and garnish if you want.

You won't get much in the way of drippings, so if you want gravy, you'll need to make beef stock (recipe coming up).