# Dry Brining Beef Tenderloin



## squirrel (Oct 16, 2010)

Okay I think I have said this a million times, but I love this cut of meat! I bought a whole tenderloin (choice) and I cut it down to the money piece and am dry brining in for about 30 hours. It consists of rubbing the meat generously with kosher salt and refrigerate uncovered. How this method works is that the salt draws out moisture but then it gets reabsorbed. Here's a link to the recipe I'm using with the explanation http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Beef-Tenderloin-with-Port-Sauce-240690

I'm going to use the leftovers to make kabobs later today. I've got a few yellow squash and zucchini that are ready to pick and some portabella's. Yum lunch. So, I'll keep you posted about this dry brining and see how this works out. I've done a salt crust on prime rib before, but that was right before cooking it. I'll smoke the tenderloin instead of roasting it.


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## bmudd14474 (Oct 16, 2010)

Looks interesting. Cant wait to see the results.


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## squirrel (Oct 17, 2010)

Results are in. I don't think I'll do that again. I mean, I really didn't notice any major difference other than it was salty, in a good way, but I think it was a waste of time. I also didn't go with the above recipe. I was feeling a little more laid back. I decided to make some cat-head sized cheddar biscuits and make a stuffed biscuit instead. I cooked the loin on the Traeger at 375F to 130F IT, except I didn't hear the dang alarm and it went to 133, then the temp shot up to 141F while it was resting. Pay attention silly girl!!!! Next time I'll take it to 125F. Here's a few pics and a couple of money shots. This first one is when I took it outta the fridge. It developed a nice skin which did hold in some juices.


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## DanMcG (Oct 17, 2010)

I'm not fond of salt so I never do something in a salt brine  but that looks delicious to me.   thanks for sharing   Than    

Now I got to go see if you ever posted the cheddar biscuits recipe 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Thanks for sharing.

Dan


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## squirrel (Oct 17, 2010)

Thanks Dan, here's the Cheddar Biscuit recipe I use. I add a tad more milk than the recipe calls for. I have also made it with a mixture of cheeses like smoked provolone and swiss and that's yummy too!

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Recipes/story?id=2788706


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## eman (Oct 17, 2010)

So in your opinion dry brining was a waste of time ?

Looks good and thanks for the biscut recipe .

Nothing better than some catheads, sausage and cane syrup.


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## DanMcG (Oct 17, 2010)

OMG Squirrel I just had them for the first time last week at the Red Lobster,  they were very Very good! (so were the "All YA Can Eat Shrimp" 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





)

Thanks again, I'll let ya know how they come out when we get around to making some.

Dan


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## squirrel (Oct 17, 2010)

All I can say eman is I think dry brining a small beef tenderloin in salt is a waste of time. Might be good with pork, maybe I'll try that some day. Or even a different cut of beef. The thing is, every time I have cooked this center cut of the loin it has always been juicy and tender, so I don't think it can be improved upon IMHO. Now brisket, that's another story.


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## pineywoods (Oct 17, 2010)

I'm with you on not needing to improve that cut of meat but WOW that sure looks awesome both the meat and the biscuits YUM


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## dick foster (Oct 17, 2010)

Try doing a basket weave of bacon and cover it with that. I take two loin strips and use the bacon wrap to hold them together so as to increase the mass and therefore the cooking time. The bacon also helps retain moisture while adding a complimentary flavor. Season the meat before you wrap with the bacon so the seasoning is inside actually I season the strips then put them together so the seasoning is all the way through. Not too strong or spicy like a regular rub now. You could do as many strips as you need to feed what ever size crowd.


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## squirrel (Oct 17, 2010)

Dick, you do realize this is beef tenderloin, not pork. I've done that with the bacon but because I'm only cooking this to around 125-130 it is only on for about 30 minutes. Hardly enough time to cook the bacon or impart in real bacon flavor. I've never really cared for seasoning beef tenderloin with anything other than salt/pepper/garlic. I finish it with several bastes of clarified butter. Pork tenderloin is a different story. I'm cooking some tonight and will wrap in bacon and finish with herb butter. Dang, I'm hungry again.


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## scarbelly (Oct 17, 2010)

Looks good Cheryl, sorry it was not what you wanted. I have tried dry aging several times and have had dry aged beef from the pros and it just is not my favorite. Had some steaks in Vegas dry aged for 21 days and a really good steak house and just didn't care for them. Seems to take some of the firmness of the meat away.


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## dick foster (Oct 18, 2010)

No but it would work on beef loin too. As I said, I have done combinations using both beek and pork loin and that is just great too.

The only thing is, it's expensive because of the beef. I wish it were not so I could justify doing it more. The two add to each other and bacon adds to anything. Gee, I wonder what peanut butter bacon would taste like?


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## Bearcarver (Oct 18, 2010)

Squirrel said:


> Dick, you do realize this is beef tenderloin, not pork. I've done that with the bacon but because I'm only cooking this to around 125-130 it is only on for about 30 minutes. Hardly enough time to cook the bacon or impart in real bacon flavor. I've never really cared for seasoning beef tenderloin with anything other than salt/pepper/garlic. I finish it with several bastes of clarified butter. Pork tenderloin is a different story. I'm cooking some tonight and will wrap in bacon and finish with herb butter. Dang, I'm hungry again.


You are one smart little squirrel!

I wouldn't cook Bacon to 125˚ myself, or 140˚ either.

Almost missed this thread again. Try not to hide them from me. Yours are too Great to be missed!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Thanks for showing,

Bear


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## tjohnson (Oct 18, 2010)

Hey Squirrelly Girl!

It looks awesome, but sounds like it looks better than it tastes.

I bow to you once again.......

Todd


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## squirrel (Oct 18, 2010)

Scarbelly - this wasn't dry aged, just dry brined. I'm dry aging a slab of prime beef and it's looking good so far. I have a second fridge for my "projects" set to 36F and a small battery operated fan. Works great.

Bear! Keep up! Or I'll come and getcha!


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## Bearcarver (Oct 18, 2010)

Squirrel said:


> Scarbelly - this wasn't dry aged, just dry brined. I'm dry aging a slab of prime beef and it's looking good so far. I have a second fridge for my "projects" set to 36F and a small battery operated fan. Works great.
> 
> Bear! Keep up! Or I'll come and getcha!




LOL---I don't know where you find all of those squirrels !!!

If it helps, I just now put my Brisket from a couple months ago in my signature. I wasn't going to, because It was only a small flat, and I didn't do a very elaborate step-by-step on it. It really was no harder than a Chuckie. I like the Brisket for slicing & the Chuckie for pulling.

Bear


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## mballi3011 (Oct 18, 2010)

Now cheryl your beef tenderloin sammies look awesome and all but I want to now about this prime rib that you are dry aging in a refrig and a fan thingy


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## squirrel (Oct 19, 2010)

Thanks Papa Bear, I checked out your brisket and I just MIGHT (big might) give a brisket one more try. The thing is, I really don't care for the flavor, I know burn me at the stake.

Mark, I'm dry aging this puppy -













The fan is cool, it's a battery operated fan to keep the air circulating. This is in my spare fridge that I keep at 36F for all my fun little meat "projects". I wrapped it in shroud cloth and I change the cloth every day. I can age it up to 14 days, but I don't think I will be able to wait that long. I'll probably pull it at 7 days (been 3 so far) and cook it like a prime rib on the smoker. YUMMMMMMM.


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## the dude abides (Oct 19, 2010)

Love me some beef tenderloin.  That's an expensive cut of meat to be doing too many experiments on.  I see it around here in beef country for around $20 a pound.  Thanks for the tutorial.


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## dale5351 (Oct 19, 2010)

The Dude Abides said:


> Love me some beef tenderloin.  That's an expensive cut of meat to be doing too many experiments on.  I see it around here in beef country for around $20 a pound.  Thanks for the tutorial.


Try BJs, Sams, or Costco.  In our area (central Maryland) BJs has whole beef tenderloin in cryovac at $6.99 per pound.  They cut off one inch thick steaks and sell those for about $12 per pound.


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## beer-b-q (Oct 19, 2010)

Looks Great Squirrel, ya can't get that biscuit at a McD drive thru...

Better watch out Bear she is a member of the 101st Squirrel Division...LOL


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## squirrel (Oct 19, 2010)

I've never found it for 6.99 a pound! The cheapest I've ever seen the choice is 9.99 a pound, and the prime is 19.99 a pound.


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## Bearcarver (Oct 19, 2010)

Beer-B-Q said:


> Looks Great Squirrel, ya can't get that biscuit at a McD drive thru...
> 
> Better watch out Bear she is a member of the 101st Squirrel Division...LOL


Yup, The 101st Squirrel Div. "Screamin' Rodents!"


 


Squirrel said:


> I've never found it for 6.99 a pound! The cheapest I've ever seen the choice is 9.99 a pound, and the prime is 19.99 a pound.


That Choice PR I posted the other day was $5.99 per pound. My son & I got 7 of them, about 5lbs each. Costco in NJ. His inlaws got them for us.

Teamwork!


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## dale5351 (Oct 19, 2010)

Squirrel said:


> I've never found it for 6.99 a pound! The cheapest I've ever seen the choice is 9.99 a pound, and the prime is 19.99 a pound.


I was in Costco today and checked there.  Their cryovac full tenderloin was $9.29.  I did not see a label as to choice or prime.  Probably ungraded.   

Perhaps that $6.99 in my head came from a sale at the local Safeway a while back.  They had what looked like about 8 inches from the end of a full tenderloin, in cryovac and I'm pretty sure it was $6.99.  I cut them into steaks.  We had a pair of them that night and they were not really all that good.  Tender, but did not have as good a flavor as the porterhouse or sirloins we usually buy.


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## dick foster (Oct 20, 2010)

Wow! now that's a low price. LOL


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## hokieduck (Dec 30, 2010)

Hey Dick.  On that peanut butter bacon thing... I live in Portland OR the home of VooDoo Donuts.  And, yes, there is a peanut butter bacon donut.  Truly.


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## squirrel (Dec 30, 2010)

hokieduck said:


> Hey Dick.  On that peanut butter bacon thing... I live in Portland OR the home of VooDoo Donuts.  And, yes, there is a peanut butter bacon donut.  Truly.


 OMG I saw VooDoo Donuts on either The Best Thing I Ever Ate or Unique Eats, not sure, but I decided I must visit that place before I die. What an awesome place! They had some pretty funky stuff. Love me some funky stuff, like weird Bears. I dunno.


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