The Best Way to Cook Chateaubriand

The Chateaubriand is widely accepted as a trophy dish. It’s the type of main course you proudly set on your dinner table and know guests will be impressed. 

To continue that great impression, you’ll need to cook it perfectly in order to slice it open and watch jaws drop. In this blog I’ll share my go-to method for cooking this show stopping dish; the absolute best way to cook a chateaubriand roast.

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What Is Chateaubriand?

Let’s start with one simple question: What is a chateaubriand roast? Is it a cut of beef, or is chateaubriand the way the meat is prepared?

Simply put, this French classic is a little bit of both.The meat itself is the center-cut portion of a beef tenderloin. 

For some, that alone qualifies as chateaubriand. Others, however, would argue that in order for this cut to be considered a true chateaubriand, it should be prepared with a demi glace, a red wine, or a béarnaise sauce. I’m not of that school of thought—just sayin’.

Is Chateaubriand The Same As Filet Mignon?

This question comes up often, and the answer is…Kinda. A filet mignon is a steak, and a chateaubriand is a roast. So to that end, they are different.

However, filet mignon steaks are simply slices of the tenderloin, of which the chateaubriand is a part of.

Where Can I Buy Chateaubriand?

Regardless of your belief about what the chateaubriand is, what’s most important is starting with a high-quality cut of beef. Starting with a high-quality piece of meat is like making sure the foundation of a home is strong.

I always like to start with a trusted local butcher if that’s possible. It’s not always the case and many of us don’t have access to the artisan butcher shops from years past.

So, if you possess even basic butchering skills, you can get a whole beef tenderloin from places like Costco and trim carve your own chateaubriand. If you’re not confident in your trimming skills, or you’re worried about the waste created from trying to trim our own beef tenderloin, there are online options. Lobel’s butcher in New York is known for their quality meats, and I’ve always been impressed when ordering from them.

How To Cook Chateaubriand

Now that we have the foundation of this meal established, let’s talk about the best way to cook a chateaubriand. The best is of course subjective, but the reverse sear method is, for my money, unbeatable.

I’ve blogged about the reverse sear method on a number of occasions, and for good reason. For thicker cuts of meat, the reverse sear method provides that edge-to-edge doneness that you can’t achieve using more traditional grilling methods.

TIP: If the reverse sear method isn’t something you’re ready for, try the sous vide method which provides other benefits.

What Temperature Do You Cook Chateaubriand?

Chateaubriand is a very lean and incredibly tender cut of beef. It will cook quickly and can get dry if it’s overcooked. So, I don’t recommend taking this cut of meat over medium rare, or an internal temperature of 127° – 130 °F. 

At higher internal temperatures, you run the risk that the meat will be dry and lose some if it’s tenderness

What to Pair With Chateaubriand

Chateaubriand goes well with so many sides, it’s hard to pick a favorite. I love it with creamed spinach, and it makes an excellent partner to my corn polenta.

Today, however, we’re going to pair it with some buttery chateau potatoes made in the same cast iron roasting pan. What I like most about this is the juices that drip from the meat baste the potatoes while they cook, it’s next level stuff.

Ok, enough small talk—lets get to work.

The Best Way to Cook Chateaubriand

Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins. | Cook time: 40 mins.

Ingredients:
1 two pound chateaubriand
1/4 cup of olive oil, divided
1 pound baby roasting potatoes
1 stick butter, cubed into 4 equal portions
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
sea salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste
fresh parsley for garnish

How To Cook The Perfect Chateaubriand

Step 1: Remove meat from refrigerator and allow to come up to room temperature for about an hour. As your meat is coming up to temperature, start your oven or grill and preheat to 225 °F. If you’re using a grill for this as opposed to an oven, set your grill up for two-zone cooking.

Step 2: While you preheat the oven or grill, oil and season the meat. Ensure a thin even coat of olive oil over the entire chateaubriand, and a generous amount of sea salt, (about a tablespoon). Pepper is optional.

Step 3: In a medium sized mixing bowl, toss potatoes in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of sea salt and rosemary. Ensure potatoes are evenly coated and pour into a large cast iron pan, adding the cubed butter. I use a 15 inch cast iron pan, but use what you have.

Step 4: Place meat on top of potatoes and insert a reliable leave-in meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the meat.

TIP: I can’t say this enough, using a reliable meat thermometer is one of, if not the most important step in perfecting meat. It’s entirely too risky to cook by feel and potentially ruin an expensive cut of meat and embarrass yourself in the process. Sadly, I know this from experience—don’t judge!

Step 5: Place pan in preheated oven or on the grill over indirect heat, and close the lid or door. Allow meat to reach an internal temperature of 120 °F in order to achieve a perfect medium rare finish. (About 35 minutes)

I don’t recommend taking this cut of meat to much higher temperature given how lean the meat is, at higher internal temperatures it tends to dry out.

Step 6: Remove the pan from the grill. Then, remove the meat from pan and set aside, leaving potatoes in the pan. Cover the potatoes with aluminum foil. Increase the grill or oven temperature to 550 °F and return the potatoes for an additional 7-10 minutes.

Step 7: If you’re using a grill, place meat directly over heat and sear on all sides for about 2 minutes on each side, turning constantly. This is how you’ll achieve that incredible crust from the maillard reaction.

If you’re using an oven, place the meat back in the oven for two minutes, then flip and cook an additional two minutes before removing it from the oven and placing it back on the potatoes. Cover with foil and let it rest.

Step 8: After the short rest, slice meat, spooning the drippings over top of potatoes. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

Cook a Reverse Seared Chateaubriand: