Smoking a whole beef tenderloin is an elevated classic dish that my family thoroughly enjoys, especially during the Holidays. It just feels like you are enjoying one of the best, most tender meats ever. I start off with an English mustard slather that is inspired by the classic preparation of a Beef Wellington.
I typically prepare whole tenderloin one of three ways: smoked, sous vide then seared or reverse seared.
In this recipe and accompanying video we are going to reverse sear (smoke and then sear) the tenderloin, so we get a smoked element, but also the amazing taste from the char of a great sear.
This cook is a two step process and we are targeting no more than a medium rare doneness which is 130 - 135 internal temperature.
Step 1 - Smoke to 110. Smoke to 120 if you desire a higher internal doneness.
Step 2 - Sear the tenderloin for 8 minutes (2 minutes per side) over a 500+ fire to get to 120 internal. The tenderloin will carry over cook another 5 degrees or so.
Meat Church How To YouTube Videos:
2023 video: https://youtu.be/hydWsLqRVTg
2022 video: https://youtu.be/9tZSF5gaWgo
Ingredients
- 1 beef tenderloin, trimmed
- Meat Church Holy Cow seasoning
- Meat Church Garlic & Herb
- 2 T English mustard (sub dijon) or T W Sauce
- Horseradish cream sauce
- 1 C, mayo
- 1/2 C, sour cream
- 1/4 C, freshly prepared horseradish (add more to taste)
- 1-2 T Meat Church Holy Cow
- Juice of 1 cheek of lemon
- 1 oz truffle oil (optional)
- Tools
- Butcher's twine
- Instant Read Thermometer
Prepare your smoker
Prepare your smoker at 250 degrees. I recommend a medium smoke wood or pellets such as oak, hickory or pecan. We used a Mill Scale offset smoker with post oak in this video.
Prepare the Tenderloin
Trim your tenderloin. In this video I removed the tail and the chain. You can also leave the tail and fold it underneath. Form as even of a tube out of the tenderloin as you can. Tie loops around the tenderloin with butcher's twine every few inches to help it keep an even shape throughout the cook.
Slather with English mustard.
Season moderately with Meat Church Holy Cow & heavily with Garlic & Herb. Allow to adhere for 1 hour.
Smoke the Tenderloin
Place the tenderloin directly onto the cooking grate. Rotate the tenderloin during the cook if it's uneven in any way. Otherwise do not do anything. While the tenderloin is cooking, prepare grill with a direct and high heat setup for searing and also make the horseradish cream.
Prepare the Horseradish Cream
Mix the mayo, sour cream and add in your your desired amount of horseradish to taste. Add the Holy Cow.
Then add the juice from one cheek of lemon to brighten it up. Optionally, add truffle oil to taste if you like.
Prepare your Grill
Prepare your grill setup for direct cooking at a temperature of over 500. In this video we used a Mill Scale Yakitori grill with lump charcoal. If you do not have a grill you can use a cast iron skillet.
Finish the Tenderloin
Smoke the tenderloin until it reaches 110 internal with your Instant Read Thermometer.
Remove from the smoker, lightly tent with foil and rest for 10 minutes.
After a 10 minute rest, clip off the butcher's twine. Sear the tenderloin for 2-3 minutes on 4 sides. If you desire a higher internal doneness or more crust on your tenderloin, then simply sear longer to your liking.
Remove from the grill.
Slice.
Enjoy with the horseradish cream!
