We were gifted a package of Beef Tenderloin Steaks from Costco as a Thank You for doing a little puppy sitting. The steaks weighed about 1/2 pound each and came in a two pound package.
We cooked these up and all agreed that these were some of the best steaks we have ever gotten from Costco!
Perfect Costco Beef Tenderloin Steaks
Equipment
- 1 Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 4 Beef Tenderloin Steaks 1/2 pound each
- 4 tbsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Peanut Oil
- 3 tsp Black Pepper
- 3 tbsp Melted Butter
Instructions
- Season the steaks with salt only.
- Let the steaks rest at room temperature for one hour.
- Heat a cast iron pan over high heat.
- Add 2 tablespoon of oil (peanut or canola).
- Place the steaks in the pan and sear for 1 minute.
- Flip the steaks over and sear the other side for 1 minute.
- Continue to flip the steaks every minute until an internal temperature of 130-135F is reached. This will take about 12 minutes.
- Remove the steak from the skillet and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Baste the steak with melted butter and season with black pepper.
- Serve with sides of choice
Prime vs Choice
These filets were Prime Grade which is the highest quality rating available from the USDA. The USDA grading scale goes from:
- Select (lowest quality)
- Choice (medium quality)
- Prime (highest quality)
The USDA grading scale is based upon how much marbling (intramuscular fat content) is present in the ribeye of the steer and is then applied to the whole animal. In general, the assumption is made that as the amount of marbling increases the meat is more tender and flavorful.
But here is the catch….
The tenderloin is almost always an extremely tender cut of beef because of its location on the steer. There is a reason that this cut has “tender” in its name! Additionally, the tenderloin is almost always a very lean cut of beef and has minimal marbling, even in Prime graded beef.
The end result is that, while a Prime graded tenderloin will be incredibly tender and flavorful, so will a Choice graded tenderloin. You will pay a premium price for a Prime filet mignon but it is going to taste just about identical to the less expensive Choice grade.
If your Costco is selling both Prime and Choice filets then don’t be afraid to buy the cheaper Choice steaks and save yourself some money.
Check out the marbling in these Prime filets below. You can see that some is present but it is nothing to get excited about.
The Steaks are Not Blade Tenderized
Costco has the unfortunate policy of blade tenderizing most of the steaks they sell and even some of their roasts like Tri Tip. Blade tenderizing involves punching the steak with a bunch of needles to break up the muscle fibers.
While blade tenderizing works to make meat more tender it also increase the chance for bacterial contamination within the meat. Because Costco potentially introduces bacteria they include a warning on the label that the meat has been blade tenderized and must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165F.
Cooking a steak to 165F is in the “Well Done and Almost Burnt” range which is a crime against nature.
The great news is that the filets are already so incredibly tender that Costco does NOT blade tenderize these steaks. As a result you can cook them to a much lower temperature. Costco recommends an internal temperature of 145F but I much prefer 135F.
Cooking Instructions
There are lots of ways of cooking these steaks but my two favorite methods are:
- Low and Slow with Sous Vide
- Hot and Fast with Cast Iron
Sous Vide Method
The sous vide method is the best way to cook a filet mignon but I sometimes skip this route because I just can’t be bothered to set up a water bath. To cook the steaks by sous vide you need to:
- Season the steaks with salt and pepper
- Seal the steaks in a food safe plastic bag with a Foodsaver.
- Use an Anova Sous Vide Immersion Heater to heat a water bath to 130F.
- Place the bag into the water bath and let the steaks cook for two hours.
- Remove the steaks from the bag and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat.
- Sear the steaks on both side for two minutes per side.
This will produce a perfectly cooked Medium Rare steak with a beautiful crust.
Cast Iron Method
- Season the steaks with salt only.
- Let the steaks rest at room temperature for one hour.
- Heat a cast iron pan over high heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil (peanut or canola).
- Place the steaks in the pan and sear for 1 minute.
- Flip the steaks over and sear the other side for 1 minute.
- Continue to flip the steaks every minute until an internal temperature of 130-135F is reached.
- This will take about 12 minutes.
- Remove the steak from the skillet and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Baste the steak with melted butter and season with black pepper.
This will produce a steak with an intensely flavored crust and a perfectly cooked center.
Letting the steak warm for one hour before it hits the cast iron is an important step for even cooking. Do not season the steak with pepper before cooking as the pepper will scorch and turn bitter during the 12 minutes of searing.
Price of Beef Tenderloin at Costco
Beef prices are bouncing all over the place these days so don’t hold me to these exact numbers but instead just keep these trends in mind. (Here is a full guide to the price of Filet Mignon and Tenderloin Steaks at Costco.)
These steaks were priced at $24.99 per pound and came in a two pound package. This made the cost of the steaks around $50.
In general the tenderloin is going to cost you about twice as much, on a per pound basis, as the ribeye.
