Korean Salt-Grilled Beef Tenderloin
Quick answer
- Total time
- 23 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Beef tenderloin - the leanest, finest-grained cut from the inner loin - is seared in a smoking-hot pan after seasoning with nothing more than coarse salt, black pepper, and a thin coat of olive oil.
Read more
The high heat locks a dark brown crust onto the surface while the interior stays pink. Butter, crushed garlic cloves, and a sprig of rosemary go into the pan for basting during the final minutes, layering herbal richness across the meat's surface. A squeeze of lemon at the end cuts through the residual fat, and a three-minute rest allows the juices to redistribute so each slice runs clear.
Ingredients
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Set the 360 g beef tenderloin at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking, then pat every side very dry with paper towels.
A dry surface browns faster and helps form the dark crust without steaming the meat.
- 2Season
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper evenly over both sides, including the edges if they are exposed.
Rub on 1 tablespoon olive oil in a thin coat so the seasoning stays attached and the surface sears cleanly.
- 3Control
Heat the pan over high heat until it feels strongly hot when your hand is held above it, then lay in the tenderloin.
If the pan is not hot enough, the meat releases moisture first and the grilled aroma becomes weak.
- 4Step
Sear the beef without moving it for about 1 minute 30 seconds on one side.
When the edges turn brown and the meat releases easily from the pan, flip it and sear the second side the same way.
- 5Step
Lower the heat to medium, then add 10 g butter, 4 crushed garlic cloves, and 1 rosemary sprig.
As the butter melts and foams, spoon it over the beef for 1 to 2 minutes so the aroma coats the crust.
- 6Prep
Turn off the heat and rest the beef for 3 minutes so the juices settle before slicing.
Cut it into easy pieces across the grain, then squeeze a little juice from 1/4 lemon right before serving to keep the beef aroma clear.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Lean beef tenderloin is seared in a smoking-hot pan with coarse salt to highlight its fine grain.
- Finish cue
- As the butter melts and foams, spoon it over the beef for 1 to 2 minutes so the aroma coats the crust.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
23min, 8 ingredients
Category median
32min, 8 ingredients
Based on 173 recipes
Use-up ingredient planner
Turn these ingredients into two more meals
The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.
Korean Salt-Grilled King Prawns
coarse salt, olive oil
Herb Roasted Whole Chicken
olive oil, butter
Korean Saeu Herb Sogeum Gui (Herb Salt Grilled Shrimp)
coarse salt, olive oil