Cooking through your beef share: Tenderloin Steak
Here's how I cook my tenderloin steaks on the stove:
1. I typically take my steaks out the morning I plan to cook them so they can thaw.
2. I'm a pretty boring spice person and really enjoy the flavor of our grass finished steaks so I usually just season my steak with salt and pepper, but at this step you could use whatever seasoning you like.
3. In my skillet on the stove, I heat my pan over medium heat and melt a tablespoon of butter. (You could alternatively use olive oil here)
4. Once the butter melts, I put the steaks on. After about 5 minutes I flip them and let them continue to cook.
5. After I flip the steaks, I start watching the internal temperature. (Your goal temperature will vary based on how rare or well done you like your steak - but I shoot for medium)
I use a simple meat thermometer to watch the temperature and will cook my steak until it reaches around 145 degrees. Once it hits that temperature, I'll take it off and let it rest (keep in mind it will continue to cook once it's removed from the heat).
Sometimes it's hard to cook steaks because everyone likes them cooked differently. Like I mentioned, I like mine pink, Tyler prefers his more rare and other family members like theirs to have very little pink. So, here's a guide to help you know what temperature might be best for you:
Rare – 120 F. Dark red center and soft in texture.
Medium Rare – 130 F. Warm red center, tender texture and rich flavor.
Medium – 140 F. Pink center with a firmer texture but still tender and full of flavor.
Medium Well -150 F. Mostly brown center and firm texture. The steak will be drier because it was cooked longer.
Well Done – 160+ F. No color, very firm, drier and tougher texture. We don't recommend well done steaks.