Questions about cooking beef tenderloin?

Beef tenderloin is delicious without added fats and if you add the bacon, it will overpower the luxurious taste and cut of this meat. I’d like to explore your idea of adding the bleu cheese. How about gently pounding the large piece of filet and butterfly it by slicing through the center crosswise. Then add crumbled bleu cheese and roll the filet up lengthwise. (If you want a little more fat and smoky flavor, add paper thin slices of prosciutto which will give the meat that bacon-y taste you may be looking for, but it won’t be heavy or overpower the filet; in fact, it will complement the meat to your liking.) Tie it up with kitchen string every 1-inch and then brush with olive oil and grill or bake it. Cut it into 1-inch medallions and serve, removing the string before eating.

Gail Greco

Editor Carefree Cooking Magazine at www.teflon.com

In resturants, the wrap filets in bacon to add the flavor but the bacon never gets crispy. I guess that's ok but most people I know dont care for soggy bacon. When you sear a cut of meat in locks in the juices, so wrapping in bacon would be over kill. Also try covering your chateau brion tightly so the moisture will stay in, or inject it with a simple marinade. Filets are rarely meant to be cooked until they are done, most are rare/medium-rare. For filets i use a low and slow method searing the outside and cooking on low heat afterwards. They look amazing with grill marks.

Wrap it in bacon first. The meat is very lean and the bacon adds just enough fat to brown it properly. If your premium meats are drying out, that means they are overcooked. If you insist on well-done, cook only long enough so that the meat is no longer pink or has just a hint of pink. Keep in mind, the meat will continue to cook for several minutes after it is removed from the heat. Sear both sides to seal in the moisture, then gauge the time to your preferred doneness. I prefer med-rare, personally. To each his own. Good luck! A nice Bearnaise sauce will add a nice accompaniment.

Tenderloin is called that for a reason. It is not always the most flavorful cut of beef, but it is the most tender. Do NOT ruin a Chateaubriand by cooking it medium well. It will turn out like shoe leather.

Cook it medium rare and then allow it to rest -- it will continue to cook. The cheese isn't a bad idea, but rather than insert it in the middle, make a roquefort butter or a roquefort sauce. Then people can use it or not as they please.

You can never go wrong with bacon. :-)