All Tied Up: How to Roll and Tie a Beef Tenderloin

By Kellie Evans


Published on September 26, 2011

No matter what part of the whole tenderloin your cut comes from, it's a good idea to tie the meat with kitchen twine before cooking. A tenderloin's thickness varies quite a bit from end to end, particularly if the cut includes the narrow tail. Cinching the meat at one- or two-inch intervals will give it a uniform shape and thus ensure even cooking. Robert Esposito, a third-generation butcher at the New York City shop Giovanni Esposito & Sons, demonstrated his method of tying, which he does after removing the tough muscle known as the chain, any excess fat, and the layer of connective tissue called silver skin.

Repeat every one to two inches, making evenly spaced and knotted loops, until you reach the rightmost tip of the tenderloin. When you’ve made your final loop, one to two inches from the tip, pull the string tight, tie it into a knot, and trim the excess string. [Back to All Tied Up »

TODD COLEMAN
Techniques

All Tied Up: How to Roll and Tie a Beef Tenderloin

By Kellie Evans


Published on September 26, 2011

No matter what part of the whole tenderloin your cut comes from, it's a good idea to tie the meat with kitchen twine before cooking. A tenderloin's thickness varies quite a bit from end to end, particularly if the cut includes the narrow tail. Cinching the meat at one- or two-inch intervals will give it a uniform shape and thus ensure even cooking. Robert Esposito, a third-generation butcher at the New York City shop Giovanni Esposito & Sons, demonstrated his method of tying, which he does after removing the tough muscle known as the chain, any excess fat, and the layer of connective tissue called silver skin.

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