# What is the best way to cook tenderloin for 100 people or more?



## bakermct (May 27, 2014)

I am just beginning in the world of cooking for catered events and I have found that catering is a whole different ball game!  I would greatly appreciate any tips or advice mainly for cooking and transporting meats, such as various types of steaks, for at least 100 people.  The sites I usually go to has a kitchen with an oven.  So far, we have been par-grilling the steaks, cooling them down, then re-heating them in an oven before service.  I was wondering if this is the best method??


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## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

You're actually reheating steaks and not getting complaints??

And with a kitchen to hand, why would you want or need to?

Chicken can be cooked, cooled and re-grilled so long as it didn't dry out.

So can ribs. But in over 200 steak-driven events I never ever precooked steaks.

Not necessarily to order, but always cooked fresh be it grill or oven.

And tenderloin is such a quick cook time anyway, I just cant fathom it. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/surprised.gif


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## mikeswoods (Jun 14, 2013)

I agree---rent a gas or charcoal grill and make your guests the best steak you can---

Reheated beef---yuck----

100 tenderloin steaks will be a quick cook out---


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Load the truck with the rest of the stuff.  Then fire the hot food, steaks last.  Cook to medium rare and straight into the cambro.  They will hold fine.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

If your talking sliced tenderloin that's different then individual steaks. That  can be seared at your commissary and put in oven at the sight to finish. Indi steaks I would grill or sear at the sight of actual party (cook real rare) , then put on sheet-pan and finish or hold in oven till service. This is the way most caterers do it.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

chefedb said:


> If your talking sliced tenderloin that's different then individual steaks. That can be seared at your commissary and put in oven at the sight to finish. Indi steaks I would grill or sear at the sight of actual party (cook real rare) , then put on sheet-pan and finish or hold in oven till service. This is the way most caterers do it.


I waited to respond because I wasn't sure if OP was talking about individual steaks or whole tenderloins.

I agree with Chefedb as well on the tenderloins.

Couldn't the steaks be "marked" off premise, then finished in the oven on premise?

As a banquet Chef in another life, I would have my cooks mark off the steaks in the morning, place them on sheet pans, then on a rack, then into the walk-in. They were taken out an hour before service then flashed in a 500 degree convection oven to medium.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Chef Ross Indy steaks are also  handled like you state.

Then depending on time of service be held. I do not like to use Cambros because they trap wet heat and I prefer dry heat of low oven for holding.

I found best way is mark them at job sight if possible.


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## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

> Indi steaks I would grill or sear at the sight of actual party (cook real rare) , then put on sheet-pan and finish
> 
> or hold in oven till service. This is the way most caterers do it.


More or less, principles being the same. I showed up at event with pre-cut raws, covered in a pan, on ice.

Seasoned and onto the grill. Typically used 3 or 4 different cuts, none of them take very long.

They come off the grill into a 6.00 pan, and dropped to a chaffer setup.

But on parties of 100 or more I cook the first "layer or two" rare, just enough to be safe.

On the serving line, you "work your way down" and by the time you reach those they're pretty much medium rare or higher.

Only drawback is a helper who gives into a guest's request to dig through the batch to custom pick their steak.

A practice I didn't encourage. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lookaround.gif


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