Cooking tournedos in 8 steps

Anyone can cook tournedos, you included! With a few rules of thumb, you'll have a buttery-tender piece of beef tenderloin on the table in no time. The short answer: take the tournedos out of the fridge in good time, sear it in a hot pan for 1 minute per centimetre per side, then let it rest for five minutes. Easy, right? So a 4-centimetre-thick tournedos gets 4 minutes per side. For a medium-rare doneness, you're looking at a core temperature of 52 to 54 °C after resting. 

What exactly is a tournedos?

A tournedos is a thick, round cut from the middle of the beef tenderloin. It's usually 4 to 5 centimetres high and weighs 150 to 200 grams. The tenderloin is a muscle that hardly has any work to do, and you can taste it: buttery-tender, with a mild flavour and almost no grain. Did you know every cow has two of them, one on each side of the spine? Because a tournedos has little fat, it cooks quickly. So keep the cooking time short!

Which tournedos should you choose?

We have tournedos from 10 different breeds. Would you like a tournedos from your own country, a Black Angus tournedos from the States or a Japanese wagyu tournedos? We've got your back. Taste is personal, so here are the broad strokes. A grass-fed steak generally has a more pronounced meaty flavour. A grain-fed beef usually gives a more buttery-tender result. And do you really want to go all out? Then try one of our wagyu steaks. Not sure? Feel free to call or email us via customer service. We're happy to help you decide.

How the tenderloin gets to your home

Our tenderloin is triple trimmed, cut to size and then vacuum-packed and frozen per tournedos. That way you defrost exactly as many tournedos as you need.

Cooking tournedos: the 8 steps

1. Defrost and bring the meat to room temperature. Our tournedos are frozen, so defrost them slowly in the fridge. Take the tournedos out of the fridge and out of the packaging at least half an hour before cooking. This way the tournedos cooks evenly, from edge to core.
2. Pat dry and season. A dry surface browns, a wet surface steams. Sprinkle pepper and salt over the tournedos just before cooking, or use one of our steak seasonings.
3. Get the pan really hot. Use a heavy frying pan or cast-iron pan with a splash of oil with a high smoke point, such as peanut or sunflower oil. The butter comes later. Otherwise it will burn.
4. Put the tournedos in the pan. Cook the tournedos for 1 minute per centimetre per side. So a 4-centimetre-thick tournedos gets 4 minutes per side. Cook a thinner tournedos for less time, and a thicker one for longer.
5. Add butter. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add a generous knob of butter, a clove of garlic and a sprig of thyme, and turn the heat down slightly. Spoon the sizzling butter over the tournedos.
6. Measure the core temperature. Knowing for sure is wonderfully easy. Insert a meat thermometer into the centre and take the tournedos out of the pan 3 to 5 °C before the desired temperature. After all, the meat keeps cooking.
7. Let the tournedos rest. Five minutes, on a plate or board. The proteins relax and the juices stay in the meat instead of on your plate.
8. Serve. Whole on the plate or sliced, against the grain. Want to know more about carving? Read our tips on slicing steak.

Recipes with Tournedos

Which core temperature suits your tournedos?

A tournedos is so tender that it's perfectly fine to eat it rosé. These are the guideline values for the core temperature after resting:

• Rare: 48 to 50 °C
• Medium rare: 52 to 54 °C
• Medium: 56 to 58 °C

Prefer it well done? Of course you can. Just keep in mind that tenderloin becomes a bit firmer that way.

Induction or gas: what do you do with the tournedos?

It matters which heat source you cook on. On induction, you leave the tournedos still in the pan. On gas, you keep it moving for an even doneness. Easy, right?

What do you serve with a tournedos?

A tournedos is delicate, so choose side dishes that complement the flavour rather than overpower it. A small knob of herb butter, a glossy steak jus or a creamy steak sauce works wonders. Did you know that in restaurants, tournedos often comes on the plate with jus and fries? You can serve that at home just as well. Going for luxury? Then turn it into a surf & turf.

In the glass, this tender and mild meat pairs well with an elegant red wine, such as a pinot noir, a merlot or a Rioja Crianza. Choosing a rich sauce? Then the wine can be a bit more full-bodied.

Frequently asked questions about cooking tournedos

How long should you cook a tournedos?

Count on 1 minute per centimetre per side. So a 4-centimetre tournedos gets 4 minutes per side, a thinner one less and a thicker one more. Add butter in the last 2 minutes. To be sure, measure the core temperature.

What is the difference between tournedos and beef tenderloin?

A tournedos is a steak from the middle section of the beef tenderloin. The tenderloin itself is the whole muscle. So a tournedos is always tenderloin, but not all tenderloin is tournedos.

How many tenderloins does a cow have?

A cow has two tenderloins, one on each side of the spine. It's the muscle that hardly has any work to do, and that's what makes it so tender.

Can you also cook tournedos in the oven?

Absolutely. First sear the tournedos in the pan, 1.5 to 2 minutes per side, then let it finish cooking for 4 to 6 minutes in an oven at 180 °C. The same applies here: insert a thermometer and take it out of the oven at the right temperature.

Why does a tournedos need to rest?

During cooking, the moisture moves towards the centre of the meat. By resting for five minutes, the moisture redistributes, making the tournedos juicier. If you cut into it straight away, the juices run out of the meat.

Ready, set, go?

Now you know how to cook a tournedos. Choose a nice piece of tenderloin, grab the pan and go for it. Do you have questions or would you like personal advice? We're happy to help! Feel free to call or email us, we're ready for you.