Grilled Whole Tenderloin
This recipe is written with a gas grill in mind (it’s easier to modify the temperature). But charcoal grilling is a definite value-add— bank your coals and make sure you have a way of reducing the temperature after searing to ensure success!
Ingredients
1 Randall Lineback Whole Trimmed Tenderloin
3-4 Tbsp Olive Oil
3-4 Cloves Garlic (1-2 sliced and 1-2 mashed)
3 Sprigs Rosemary- Cut into 3-4 pieces
Salt and Pepper to taste
WE SUGGEST: Serving this with Herbed Compound Butter (you can follow the recipe or mix in finely chopped Rosemary, Sage, and a bit of lemon juice)
Preparation
In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, garlic, Rosemary, salt, and pepper.
2-3 hours ahead of cooking: if you have an easy vacuum sealer, place your thawed tenderloin in a vacuum sealable bag and add the herbed olive oil, squishing things around to make sure the tenderloin is fully coated. Vacuum seal. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, spread your olive oil mixture over your tenderloin (either using a ziplock bag or a baking dish covered with saran wrap). Bring to room temperature (i.e. leave out, covered, while it marinates).
Fire up your grill— aim for about 500°F. Brush some oil on the grill to prevent the tenderloin from sticking.
Remove tenderloin from olive oil. Remove rosemary sprigs and larger slices of garlic. Tucking the narrow end under it, tie the tenderloin with butcher’s twine or poultry ties so it’s in a tight sausage shape (see photo above).
Sear tenderloin on the hot grill, rotating it with tongs about every minute or so for about 5 minutes total.
Turn off half of your burners, lower the rest, and move the tenderloin to the cooler side of the grill (the aim is to cook by ambient heat rather than over open flame). Aim for a grill temp of about 350°F. Rotate your tenderloin a little bit every 3-5 minutes to ensure even cooking. For a 2-lb tenderloin, you may want to check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer after about 20 minutes. A 2.5-lb tenderloin takes about total 30 minutes, depending on how hot the grill is.
When the internal temperature of your tenderloin reaches 122-125°F, remove from heat and tent under foil. If you’ve made some compound butter, place a few pats along the top so they melt as the tenderloin rests. Rest for 8-10 minutes before slicing (remember to remove that twine!).
Serve with more compound butter. If serving plated slices, brush with compound butter before serving.