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Beef tenderloin is tender, buttery, and…bland. Uninteresting. Spineless.
(OK, I had to throw that last one in there, because it actually is spineless. The tenderloin is cut away from the spine, resulting in the boneless piece of meat we all know.)
I’m overly harsh on tenderloin. Sure, it doesn’t have the big, beefy flavor that some other cuts have. (Look to the ribeye for big beef flavor.) But it does give a mild, beefy base for other flavors...like horseradish. I love beef and horseradish, and I love beef tenderloin with horseradish most of all.
I saw the bottle of horseradish Dijon mustard at my grocery store, and thought “what a perfect idea for a beef tenderloin crust.” I grasped my wallet firmly and headed off to my butcher to grab a tenderloin.
(For an extra kick of horseradish, I serve my homemade horseradish sauce on the side.)
Thanks to Mike and Mauri at Sherman Provision Meat Market for this beautiful piece of meat.
Of course, I'm cooking it on my rotisserie, turning the horseradish mustard, garlic, and herbs into a delicious crust on the outside of the tenderloin. (Get it? Turning? Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week.)
Looking for a show-stopper recipe for the holidays? Look no further - Rotisserie beef tenderloin with horseradish mustard crust is the one you’re looking for.
Equipment
- Grill with Rotisserie Attachment (I love my Weber Summit)
Rotisserie Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Mustard Crust
- Total Time: 12 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 8-12 1x
Description
Rotisserie Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Mustard Crust recipe. Take a beef tenderloin for a spin.
Ingredients
- 5 pound trimmed beef tenderloin (fat and chain removed, about 7 pounds untrimmed)
- 1 ½ tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
Horseradish Mustard Crust
- ¼ cup horseradish Dijon mustard
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
Instructions
- Dry brine the beef: Season the roast evenly with the salt and pepper. Refrigerate overnight, or for up to 48 hours.
- Truss and spit the beef, then coat with mustard: One hour before cooking, remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator. Fold the tail of the tenderloin over and truss it to even out the thickness on the thin end of the roast. Cut the roast in half, truss the two pieces together, then skewer on the rotisserie spit, running the spit between the pieces of tenderloin and securing them with the spit forks. Whisk the mustard, garlic and thyme, then brush all over the trussed tenderloin. Let the beef rest at room temperature until it is time to grill. 2
- Set up the grill for indirect high heat (450°F+): Set up the grill for indirect high heat (450°F or higher). On my Weber Summit, I remove the grill grates and preheat the grill with all burners on high for 15 minutes. Then I turn off all but the outer burners - burners 1 and 6 - and turn on the rotisserie burner to high.
- Rotisserie the beef tenderloin: Put the spit on the grill, start the motor spinning, and make sure the drip pan is centered beneath the tenderloin. Close the lid and cook with the lid closed as much as possible. (If you have an infrared rotisserie burner, turn it off after the beef is browning well, about 30 minutes, and let the burners in the main body of the grill finish cooking the beef.) The tenderloin is done when it reaches 120°F in its thickest part for medium rare, about 45 minutes. (Cook to 115°F for rare, 130 ° F for medium.)
- Serve: Remove the tenderloin from the rotisserie spit and immediately remove the trussing twine. (Be careful - the spit and forks are blazing hot.) Let the tenderloin rest for 15 minutes, then slice and serve.
Notes
Why cut the roast in half? To even out the width of the roast, and help it cook evenly. More details here: Why Cut a Tenderloin in Half for the Rotisserie?
- Prep Time: 12 hours
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Rotisserie
- Cuisine: American
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Notes
- No rotisserie? No worries. Set your grill up for indirect high heat as directed. Then, instead of rotisserie cooking, put the grill grate back in and cook the roast over indirect heat. Flip the roast after 30 minutes to even out the browning, and expect it to take a little longer - say, 50 minutes? To get to medium-rare.
- Wood smoke is always a good idea with beef - I love oak or pecan wood with beef. Add a fist-sized chunk of wood to the coals (if cooking with charcoal) or one cup of wood chips (if cooking with gas.)
- Not enough horseradish for you? See my Rotisserie Beef Tenderloin with Shallot-Herb Butter and Horseradish Sauce recipe for a quick horseradish sauce.
What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts
Rotisserie Beef Tenderloin with Shallot-Herb Butter and Horseradish Sauce
Rotisserie Boneless Ribeye Roast with Garlic Crust
My list of Rotisserie Recipes
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Michael says
I tried this recipe (bbq w. rotisserie) on Christmas 2022 and received the most amazing reviews. My best ever. Thanks so much Mike for the clear and straightforward instructions.
Mike Vrobel says
You're welcome, glad you enjoyed it!
Mike Vrobel says
You’re welcome!
Debbie says
I have horseradish and Dijon but separate. What would the amount be for each?
Mike Vrobel says
Try a 2:1 ratio of mustard to horseradish. (Or go 1:1 if you want more of a horseradish kick.)
Terri-Lynn Thayer says
I followed this recipe exactly with exception that i left my infrared burner on. I checked at 30 minutes as directed and put back on for about another 10 minutes. Took off at about 123. I would go a little bit rarer next time but I do also have a husband who likes well done so this gave the whole dinner party some options. I used Stonewall Kitchen’s horseradish mustard. It was a beautiful recipe to try out my new Weber Summit rotisserie for a Christmas in July feast!
Raf M says
Came out tremendous. Loving your recipes on my Blaze LTE grill.
JQ says
Just did this for Father's day on the Summit. Came out incredible. Did a tarragon, mustard seed butter to go with it. My MIL watching me cut it into steaks with one cut of the knife was shocked. The best red meat I've ever done on a grill.
Tony Payton says
Ever cook two at a time? Need to get 8-10 lbs of meat. Love your book on Amazon
Mike Vrobel says
I haven’t tried it - but it should work, if your grill is wide enough. (I think it would fit on my 6-burner Summit 650). Tie the two roasts together instead of cutting them in half. (Fold the tail over like I show in the pictures, then tie together.) The cooking time will be about the same, maybe a few minutes extra...but cooking time is determined by the width of the meat, not the total weight, so I think it will cook in about the same time. Good luck, and let me know how it goes.
Cary Hill says
Mike, I am a little confused when in direction #2 you say to "Cut the roast in half, truss the two pieces together, then skewer on the rotisserie spit," Why are you cutting it in half? Thanks
John says
I think he means cut half way through the bend where you fold it over. I'm trying this on Friday.
Mike V says
Two reasons:
1. Even cooking. A tenderloin is very thin on the tail end, and very thick on the head end. Cutting it in half and trussing it to itself helps even out the thickness, which evens out the cooking.
2. Thicker gives the roast more time to brown. The tenderloin would overcook by the time it browns- especially the tail end.
Mike V says
Cary, you inspired me:
https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/cut-beef-tenderloin-half-rotisserie/
Cary says
Mike, aside from 2 extra burners than my grill, you have the infrared rotisserie burner, which you use frequently in many of your recipes to help ensure a nice crust and browning. In this recipe, how would you recommend someone without the infrared rotisserie burner to achieve the crust? Is it worth trying to sear the tenderloin on the grill before finishing on the rotisserie or simply hoping the meat brown on its own? Thanks
Mike V says
Cary, go with as high of heat as you can get while still keeping it indirect - you'll get some browning.