Best Way to Cook Beef Tenderloin – Espresso Crusted Chateaubriand

We’re sharing how to cook the best beef tenderloin for a tender, melt in your mouth bite every time with our steak rub of espresso, brown sugar and spices! Don’t miss this coffee crusted beef tenderloin recipe.

Chateaubriand is the most decadent, tender beef roast and is perfect for special occasions and holidays. But I don’t want this more expensive cut of meat to intimidate you, which is why we show you exactly how to cook it for a perfect outcome, every time. Plus, our espresso rub takes it to a whole new level. This roast-size filet mignon designed to impress with mild, delicate beef flavor and incredible tenderness.

Don’t miss the video tutorial for the best way to cook this coffee crusted beef tenderloin recipe and tips for perfecting Chateaubriand.

If you’re planning a holiday meal, don’t miss out on these special Holiday Meal Packages from Omaha Steaks which are on sale and offer free shipping!

Besides not knowing what day it is lately during #quarantinelife, even though I should be used to the work-from-home life (I’m not used to NOT being able to make a quick Starbucks run or kids out of school), I now eat dinner at 3pm and feel like it’s way past my bedtime at 8pm! One thing that hasn’t changed about life is that I love to cook up a great dish.

If you’ve been wanting to practice, now is a PERFECT time to hone those kitchen skills, and we’ve got the BEST steak rub with espresso, brown sugar and spices… for ANY steak, but especially for this Chateaubriand.

In our newly revamped Kitchenwise episode (which I’ve been so excited about BTW and couldn’t wait to share something we’ve been working hard on), I’m walking you through a tutorial on How To Cook Chateaubriand and give tips for perfecting a Beef Tenderloin every time, with our espresso rub, of course!

Best Way to Cook Beef Tenderloin – Espresso Crusted Chateaubriand

What is Chateaubriand?

A chateaubriand goes by many other names. Some you may have heard are filet mignon roast, tenderloin roast, or more simply, beef tenderloin. 

These cuts come from high up on the animal, which is why they’re so tender. It’s basically a roast made of filet mignon and these cuts make up just 8% of the beef. With such a beautiful roast, this is a perfect dish for special gatherings and occasions Christmas dinner is a popular choice, and the same goes for Easter dinner, birthday parties, celebrations, as well as family dinner ’round the table.

At Omaha Steaks, they refer to this decadent cut of beef as a Chateaubriand. This French word is named after the 19^th century French Romantic writer, François-René de Chateaubriand, who particularly enjoyed this cut of beef. It now translates to mean “a very thick steak cut from the fillet of beef”. Whatever name you give it, it’s an epicurean delight you won’t forget.

Tip 1 For the Best Way to Cook Beef Tenderloin: Salt Early.

Remove roast from the fridge at least an hour BEFORE you want to start cooking it. While you might think this is about the temperature of the steak, this is actually about moisture! You want to get salt on that meat and let it set for at least 40 minutes! Even though chateaubriand is one of THE most tender cuts of beef, the addition of salt for that amount of time allows the salt to draw out liquid and then that liquid is re-absorbed leaving a dryer surface. This means that the surface will brown and crust faster, while the meat remains tender.

You could even begin the process the day before, salt and pepper the roast and then place back in the fridge overnight.  

Tip 2 For Even Cooking: Tie The Roast.

After removing the “chain” and a portion of the roast is split, as shown in our video, or with a beef tenderloin that has an uneven shape, the smaller portion of the meat cooks at a different temperature and speed than the thicker portion of the roast. To even the cooking, you’ll want to even the roast by tying it up with kitchen twine. 

Sometimes you can fold the smaller portion of the roast, or the tail end of the meat, over on top of itself to create a more even shape as shown in this video.

Whether split, uneven, or both, grab some kitchen twine and tie that roast for more even cooking. Here’s a step by step for tieing a roast.

Tip 3 For Easy Cooking: Preheat While You Prep.

Obviously, this doesn’t mean that your meat will be more tender or change the quality of your cook. BUT, after spending time prepping your dish, who wants to wait for the oven to heat up. I guess this goes for any meal that you’re cooking. Still, it warrants a mention!

Tip 4 For the Most Tender Roast: Cook Low and Slow. 

Tip 5 For a Juicy Beef Tenderloin: Let the Tenderloin Rest.

The same goes for any cut of beef, really. For 10 minutes after cooking and before slicing, allow time for your meat to “rest” to give the juices time to redistribute.

Tip 6 For How to Cook Chateaubriand: Create an Espresso Rub for a Coffee Crusted Beef Tenderloin

On our 3-lb beef tenderloin, we rubbed a deliciously fragrant and flavorful espresso rub. Gather up the below ingredients to create this rub that would be amazing on ANY steak!

• 3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

For sides to go along with our beef tenderloin, we served up brussels sprouts and smashed potatoes from Omaha Steaks. I was able to cook them up quickly and easily while we let our tenderloin rest for ten minutes, how perfect is that?!

Of course, you could easily toss some veggies in the roasting pan with a little bit of butter and broth and let it cook along with your roast as well, but for this meal, I just had everything I needed shipped right to the door.

Seriously, Omaha Steaks makes it easy, check out their amazing selection!

If you make this espresso rub for your steak night, and especially for cooking up the best beef tenderloin, I’d love to hear about it! Tag me on social media @TabithaBlue. For some at-home date night tips and our FAVORITE cast iron steak recipe, click here. 

What about you? Any recipes for the best beef tenderloin in your arsenal? Share your top tips with our other readers in the comments below.

[note note_color=”#ffffff”]This post is sponsored by Omaha Steaks but all thoughts and opinions are my own.[/note]