You can expect to pay $25 to $40 per pound for a whole tenderloin. That’s per pound, people—not per cow, not per slice, not per tiny piece of heaven. I once saw a single, two-pound tenderloin in a butcher case priced at $89. For that money, I could adopt a moderately sized goat and teach it to fetch.
Beef Wellington Recipe Serious Eats: The Friendly Step-by-Step Guide
But here’s the dirty secret: the grocery store will sell you a pre-trimmed tenderloin, but they’ll charge you for the silver skin and fat they already cut off. That’s like paying for a gym membership and then watching the trainer eat your snacks. Always ask your butcher to trim it—or better yet, buy a whole, untrimmed tenderloin and trim it yourself. You’ll save about 30% and develop a deep appreciation for how much garbage cows carry around.
The Weird Sizing Game
You’re not supposed to use the entire tenderloin in one Wellington. No, no, no—you want the center-cut, which is the thickest, most uniform section. The skinny “tail” end is too thin and will overcook into a sad, gray piece of jerky. The tail is best saved for stir-fry or bribing your dog to stop barking at the mailman.
Your Wellington should be a fat, even cylinder of beef—like a can of Pringles, but made of money. If it looks like a sad sausage, you bought the wrong part. Do not accept a sad sausage Wellington; your guests will judge you silently.
Gourmet Beef Wellington Cut in Half Showing Juicy Red Meat and Flaky
