Food and Recipes Meat Beef Perfect Beef Tenderloin Be the first to rate & review! This simple step-by-step recipe will ensure you have a perfectly tender beef tenderloin every time. By Julia Reed Julia Reed A native of Greenville, Mississippi, Julia Reed was a well-known journalist, writer, commentator, and humorist. She was a contributing editor for Southern Living, Elle Décor, Garden and Gun and wrote for Vogue, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other publications. Julia was the daughter of Judy and Clarke Reed. Her mother was a native of Nashville; her father, a businessman and leader of the Mississippi Republican Party. Julia Reed covered a variety of topics that involved food, women's fashion, entertaining, Southern culture, etiquette, home design, and more. She was a born storyteller and a brilliant writer, and she used her talents to produce half a dozen books and hundreds of articles, including many for Southern Living. (1960-2020) Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on January 8, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Iain Bagwell Hands On Time: 10 mins Total Time: 50 mins Yield: 12 to 14 appetizer servings Roasted beef tenderloin is a show-stopper that transforms any dinner into a special occasion. A whole tenderloin is also expensive, so we need a recipe that will guide us to perfection. This recipe is surprisingly straightforward and easy, especially when you ask the butcher to trim and tie the roast before you bring it home, which ensures it will cook evenly. Trust an instant-read thermometer to gauge when it's cooked to your liking, and let it rest before slicing. The target temperature range for medium-rare (which is how most people prefer beef tenderloin) is 130° to 135°F, but remove it from the oven when it reaches 125° to 130°F because it will climb another 5 to 7 degrees while it rests. Ingredients 1 (5- to 7-lb.) beef tenderloin, trimmed 3 tablespoons butter, softened 5 to 7 tsp. kosher salt ¾ teaspoon cracked black pepper Directions Preheat oven to 425°. Place beef on a wire rack in a jelly-roll pan. Rub butter over beef, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 425° for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 135° (medium rare). Cover loosely with aluminum foil; let stand 15 minutes before slicing. Note: We tested with Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. Rate it Print