Need a time and temp to roast a whole beef tenderloin without searing it on the stovetop first. I want rare to med-rare

Pamela731
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11 Comments

Declan January 27, 2014
Simple ... Taste enhancement starts at the beginning.
 
sfmiller January 25, 2014
No, it's not wrong. It's been known since the late nineteenth century that searing doesn't "seal in juices." See Harold McGee, "On Food and Cooking" (revised edition), p. 161, or follow the online links in my earlier post.

It's an easy enough proposition to test empirically: you roast two pieces of identical sizes, one seared and one not seared, weighing them before and after cooking. If searing really "sealed in juices" and the unseared piece did not, the seared piece would weigh more than the unseared piece, right? But that's not how it turns out. Alton Brown did this very experiment on a "Good Eats" episode.

What would you cite in support of your contention?

Note that I'm not saying that searing is a bad thing. It's a good thing: browning enhances flavor. But it doesn't have a positive effect on juiciness of cooked meat.
 
Declan January 24, 2014
No disrespect ...
But that's wrong
 
sfmiller January 24, 2014
The notion that searing a roast "seals in juices" has been proven incorrect by many empirical studies. If anything, a seared roast loses slightly *more* juices than an unseared one, all else being equal.

There's still a good reason to sear meat, whether you do it at the beginning of cooking or at the end: browning enhances flavor. But it doesn't affect juiciness.

https://www.google.com/search?q=does+searing+meat+seal+in+juices&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
 
Declan January 24, 2014
Why would you want to roast a tenderloin, or any joint, without searing it. Juices will seep out, taking flavor and taste with them.
But ... That aside, about 30 minutes at 375 should be goid. You want 63C (145F) internal temperature for medium rare
 
Summer O. January 24, 2014
Bring the meat to room temperature then cook it at 325 for 20 minutes per lb. Thermometer should read 125. Let it rest for 10-15 before slicing.
 
smslaw January 24, 2014
Everyone has a different time and temp suggestion. They all work, more or less, but whatever you do, use a meat thermometer. For a relatively small roast, like a tenderloin, an extra 5 minutes can result in an overdone roast.
 
Catherine January 24, 2014
I always use "The Ultimate Roasting Chart" by the Healthy Butcher. It has never let me down! Should you not want to follow the link below, according to the chart you can sear in the oven at 450 for 7 minutes/lb (no more than 30 minutes in total though, regardless of weight), then drop to 325. The chart indicates 15-18 minutes a lb and an internal temperature of 110 degrees. They also suggest just searing a 3 lb roast for 30 minutes at 450 and letting it rest for 20 minutes, eliminating the cooking altogether. I'd probably go with that method myself if your roast is small. Good luck!
http://www.thehealthybutcher.com/livetoeat/volume23/TheHealthyButchers-UltimateRoastingChart.pdf
 
Patti I. January 24, 2014
Ina Garten has this recipe with times and temps that directs you to follow it exactly. It works! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/fillet-of-beef-recipe.html#
 
Robin January 24, 2014
I believe America's Test kitchen has a recipe that roasts the meat without searing but after it's roasted you give it a quick sear to caramelize and color. The reason is to have a nice pink color all the way through instead of a grayish ring surrounding the pink. I've done this many times and it works great! I am a trained chef and you will never get good color without searing.
 
Jacob K. January 24, 2014
You can start it on a high oven, so 400 or so, then turn it down to 350, roast it for 45 to 50 minutes.
 
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