Woodman's is running a similar sale ($4.99 LB) and the grade is select. Still a pretty decent deal and most guest won't be able to tell the difference. If I am not mistaken the actual price is $7.99 a pound.

More than likely these prices are for what wholesalers call 'No-roll'. Basically it is a product that is inspected, but not graded. Inspection is mandatory, but the processors voluntarily have their products graded at an addtional cost. No-roll is often where dairy cows end up. I was quite surprised to learn that even some of the most recognized restaurants will use this beef when I was in the biz. btw, it is quite often of at least select grade.

Flip

It seems to me that a $4.99 tenderloin is an effective "loss leader" to get people into the store to purchase their other higher margin food for Christmas and New Years. The quality should be very good and probably better than you'll find at the Big 3 grocery chains.

fwiw -
Non-grade ribeye is usually sold at a lot of fruit markets for under 3.00/lb. I bought it...once. I had septic, sulfiuric burps for two days afterwards. I actually went to one of my fruit markets today and saw some very nice looking thick cut, no grade ribeye for 2.99/lb. I'd guess it was utility grade. Looks decent, but you can't tell how old it is, can you? I'm not saying that the A. Caputo stuff will be bad, just beware. It may well be decent stuff that they were putting out as a loss leader. I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole, but I've been burned by non-graded cheap beef before.

Hi,

There is a possibility that the bargain tenderloins come from dairy cows. Not the pedigree that we are used to, but real bargains and great eating.

Tim

Hi,

H-Mart regularly sells tenderloin for under $6. per pound. I believe Josephine brought one that was grilled at our 2007 picnic that tasted good enough to disapeer rather quickly. Considering this rather lean muscle gets no exercise, you will get a tender piece of meat at less than Choice grade. If you consider some of the cooking technique information in this thread you cannot go wrong.

All the best,

The problem with old dairy cows is that you don't know what you're going to get...they are culled for a variety of reasons. A healthy dairy cow tastes just fine. One suffering from Johne's disease or some metabolic problem is probably going to be pretty bad.

mousec1 wrote:Woodman's is running a similar sale ($4.99 LB) and the grade is select. Still a pretty decent deal and most guest won't be able to tell the difference. If I am not mistaken the actual price is $7.99 a pound.

Mousec,

I bought bargain beef tenderloin at Woodman's once, it was standard from a bull, very lean, not all that tender and not even that cheap, especially as they were untrimmed. Butcher sold me on the fact it was less money than even Costco, which always has good prices on choice beef, and that it would have a full beefy flavor.

My intended use was to cook, cool and slice thin the next day for for people to make sandwiches at an afternoon party. It was OK sliced thin for sandwiches, if a little tough, but the steak cut portions my wife and I had for dinner were jawbreakers.

I will, on the rare occasion, purchase prime beef tenderloin from a butcher though overall I have been quite satisfied with Costco choice beef tenderloin, and Costco meat in general.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:I will, on the rare occasion, purchase prime beef tenderloin from a butcher though overall I have been quite satisfied with Costco choice beef tenderloin, and Costco meat in general.

pammyt wrote:Jewel is advertising "select" for 9.99 lb. this week.

FWIW, Costco's beef tenderloin is $9.99/lb right now for choice grade. Granted, you have to buy the whole thing (about $60-80, depending upon weight), and it could be trimmed better, but it's still a good deal for a very nice piece of meat. To me, it's worth the investment in the larger Costco "choice" piece rather than buying a smaller Jewel "select" piece for the same price per pound.

I dont know if I would trust any beef tenderloin @ $4.99/Lb. to be very tender, or good.

My local butcher has his priced @ about $16/Lb. Hand trimmed to order, he buys boxes of "choice or above" tenderloin(he buys all his beef this way), so sometimes some prime beef makes it to me at non-prime cost. I dont mind paying extra for the service, & quality, plus I can support a local family owned business.

aschie30 wrote:FWIW, Costco's beef tenderloin is $9.99/lb right now for choice grade. Granted, you have to buy the whole thing (about $60-80, depending upon weight), and it could be trimmed better, but it's still a good deal for a very nice piece of meat. To me, it's worth the investment in the larger Costco "choice" piece rather than buying a smaller Jewel "select" piece for the same price per pound.

We've been really happy with Costco's whole beef tenderloin. The meat is essentially wet-aged in the Cryovac container. They are incredibly flavorful when grilled or roasted whole. (They aren't trimmed at all, so there is a little work to do.) They are great for serving a group. You can always freeze what you don't use. I've never been a fan of beef tenderloin, given the price and mild flavor, but I like these whole pieces.

I just bought whole Choice Tenderloins for $8.88 at Sam's. Had them for our office party and they were wonderful. Kind of a pain in the ass to "strip" them but worth the effort. I find that if you put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes before you "strip" them the silverskin comes off pretty easy and they are generally much easier to deal with.

Darren72 wrote:

aschie30 wrote:FWIW, Costco's beef tenderloin is $9.99/lb right now for choice grade. Granted, you have to buy the whole thing (about $60-80, depending upon weight), and it could be trimmed better, but it's still a good deal for a very nice piece of meat. To me, it's worth the investment in the larger Costco "choice" piece rather than buying a smaller Jewel "select" piece for the same price per pound.

We've been really happy with Costco's whole beef tenderloin. The meat is essentially wet-aged in the Cryovac container. They are incredibly flavorful when grilled or roasted whole. (They aren't trimmed at all, so there is a little work to do.) They are great for serving a group. You can always freeze what you don't use. I've never been a fan of beef tenderloin, given the price and mild flavor, but I like these whole pieces.

Advice on trimming these: The legendary Flap Steak is still attached, so buy one at least a pound bigger than you anticipate, and trim off the fat, silverskin and luscious flaps as well as any bits that make your tenderloin less than a perfect cylinder. It'll cook more evenly, and you're left with something nice for a quick grilling, stir fry, or whatever after making your party roast.

Darren72 wrote:We've been really happy with Costco's whole beef tenderloin.

As of noon today (12.23) Niles Costco was out of whole beef tenderloin. Butcher said they would be resupplied tomorrow morning (12.24).

Woodmans in Carpentersville had plenty of them this afternoon. Ran about $35-40 each. No indication whatsoever of any grade for them.

They also had smaller pieces for $5.99 a pound and trimmed ones that looked more like eye of round than tenderloin for $7.99.

These $5.00 a pound tenderloins are most definetly commercial cow product. Not up to the grade of select, choice, or prime.

In a tenderloin there is less difference between select and choice as there is with a ribeye or Strip loin. Reason being is that tenderloins do not accrue a lot of fat anyway and the muscle is seldom used in the animal so it will be tender. Even product that is "no roll" or not graded can still be OK as long as it is from a reputable packer - IE. IBP, Swift, Excel. More often than not it will equal select grade. My point is you can get away with a select tenderloin from a good packer- just make sure it says USDA select or USDA choice not just USDA inspected or just select or choice.

Cow on the other hand is often bred for milking and killed after their usefulness has expired, very different eating experience. Plus when you are serving tenderloin, your guests are expecting something outstanding. Why not buy a higher quality but cheaper cut of meat?

As stated below if it looks too good to be true it usually is.

Most of the tenderloins purchased without USDA Grading are worth grinding into hamburger, you can't make a 'silk purse' out of them. Even Sams Club USDA Choice can vary from OK to good(not Grade). There is consederable variation in USDA Choice and Prime within the Grade. Most all Top Prime is restaurant bound and the best Choice is not far behind. Your best indication of a satisfying tenderloin is a custom butcher such as Zier's in Willmette.-Dick

Dick- Not trying to be disagreeable, but why would you grind $5/lb (fatless) tenderloin into hamburger instead of using a tastier and cheaper grind of meat? Unless you want something lean like an ostrich burger I suppose... for the health conscious... makes sense now that I ask...

budrichard wrote:Most of the tenderloins purchased without USDA Grading are worth grinding into hamburger, you can't make a 'silk purse' out of them. Even Sams Club USDA Choice can vary from OK to good(not Grade). There is consederable variation in USDA Choice and Prime within the Grade. Most all Top Prime is restaurant bound and the best Choice is not far behind. Your best indication of a satisfying tenderloin is a custom butcher such as Zier's in Willmette.-Dick

Depends on what your expectations are- it would be great if everyone could afford to pay 15 dollars plus per pound for a great tenderloin but many people can't afford to drop that kind of cash. While certainly not as good as prime, no roll tenderloin could be an acceptable alternative to paying 100 dollars for a top grade piece of meat.

Well, the PSMOs at costco are $10/lb, but it's a fair point. Zier's is probably quite a bit more.

Muttster wrote:Depends on what your expectations are- it would be great if everyone could afford to pay 15 dollars plus per pound for a great tenderloin but many people can't afford to drop that kind of cash. While certainly not as good as prime, no roll tenderloin could be an acceptable alternative to paying 100 dollars for a top grade piece of meat.

Agreed, and at a substantial discount.

gleam wrote:Well, the PSMOs at costco are $10/lb, but it's a fair point. Zier's is probably quite a bit more.

I think Zier's is around $10/# for whole, untrimmed choice and $15/# for whole, untrimmed prime, though I'm not 100% sure of that. But yes, that is a premium over some options -- which I feel is worth it -- for knowing exactly what you're getting. That said, I had tenderloin from Costco at my step-mom's on Christmas eve and it was perfectly wonderful and well-prepared, too.

=R=

Jay K wrote:Dick- Not trying to be disagreeable, but why would you grind $5/lb (fatless) tenderloin into hamburger instead of using a tastier and cheaper grind of meat? Unless you want something lean like an ostrich burger I suppose... for the health conscious... makes sense now that I ask...

You are not being disagreeable.
I didn't say i would purchase $5/# tenderloin and grind it, what i said was "Most of the tenderloins purchased without USDA Grading are worth grinding into hamburger".
I have tried many sources for tenderloin over the years. In variably the USDA Select and lower grades are dissapointing, Choice ranges all over the place and Zier's is consistantly the best.
BTW Choice is $15/# and Prime is $30/# at Zier's currently.
We used to have an old line butcher shop in Racine Wisconsin, Anderson Klapett, whose claim to fame was that they supplied SC Johnson (the person not the company) with meat. One Christmas I ordered a whole Prime Tenderloin from them. It came nicely trimmed, tied and larded internally and barded externally. Best tenderloin we have ever had. These techniques are mostly lost as are the experiences of the best quality meats today as one goes to Walmart where EVERYTHING is soaked in chemical solutions or packaged in CO2. -Dick

jlawrence01 wrote:It seems to me that a $4.99 tenderloin is an effective "loss leader" to get people into the store to purchase their other higher margin food for Christmas and New Years. The quality should be very good and probably better than you'll find at the Big 3 grocery chains.

OK I started this thread so I thought I would give an update on my bargain purchase. After reading most of the comments I was getting nervous about my purchase and thought I should have ordered the tenderloin like I usually do from Doerfler's in Buffalo Grove. So Christmas Eve I opened 3 out of the 4 tenderloin packages to trim them. No surprises, no smelly discolored meat, no chunks of fat hiding where I couldn't see through the package. After trimming the t-loins I rubbed them with olive oil, garlic and a few herbs and wrapped them in plastic overnight. On Christmas I brought them to room temp and grilled them on my Weber to a perfect 140 degree temperature. After resting, I sliced them and again no sawing back & forth-all 3 cut like butter. I did serve them with 2 sauces on the side (because I thought what if....) much to my surprise everyone in my family raved about it and even asked if I purchased it from Doerfler's. The sauces weren't even touched! This year I saved about $90 over last year-so my gamble paid off! Tenderloin #4 is going into the freezer for future use.......................

Thanks for the report back. I'm glad your dinner went so well!

pammyt wrote:
OK I started this thread so I thought I would give an update on my bargain purchase. After reading most of the comments I was getting nervous about my purchase and thought I should have ordered the tenderloin like I usually do from Doerfler's in Buffalo Grove. So Christmas Eve I opened 3 out of the 4 tenderloin packages to trim them. No surprises, no smelly discolored meat, no chunks of fat hiding where I couldn't see through the package. After trimming the t-loins I rubbed them with olive oil, garlic and a few herbs and wrapped them in plastic overnight. On Christmas I brought them to room temp and grilled them on my Weber to a perfect 140 degree temperature. After resting, I sliced them and again no sawing back & forth-all 3 cut like butter. I did serve them with 2 sauces on the side (because I thought what if....) much to my surprise everyone in my family raved about it and even asked if I purchased it from Doerfler's. The sauces weren't even touched! This year I saved about $90 over last year-so my gamble paid off! Tenderloin #4 is going into the freezer for future use.......................

Hi Pammyt,

I've gotten the beef tenderloin from Caputo's a few times. I also get the boneless rib roast for $3.99/lb there. Neither cuts are extraordinary and you've got to look for a ribeye with good marbling. But this isn't any different than buying the Cryovac meats from the wholesale shops. In fact I thought that both are very comparable. It's true that neither is extraordinary, but when cooked to a med rare both could easily be cut with a butter knife.

They certainly aren't as tasty as a prime grade of beef, but I don't expect them to be. You do have to be a little picky when choosing the roast, again...I find them similar to the wholesale cryovac'd meat.

take care,
dan

Hey guy's I'm new to the forum and was hoping people could give me suggestion on where to buy affordable beef tenderloin. I'm not looking to spend a lot of money as I would like to give some recipes a test drive before breaking the bank on the good stuff.

Sam's or Costco.

If you don't have a Sams or Costco membership, check the grocery store ads. This time of year, you will see a lot of tenderloin sales. It still won't be cheap with sale prices around $9.99 per pound typical. If you can find USDA Choice Tenderloin for less than that, grab it. If you are near a Caputo's or get their ads, always check them as well.

The huge tenderloin cryovac packages are found in almost every grocery store this time of year and after you've gone to several stores, you'll start to realize that most of the chains have pretty much the same thing. I've never bought one at Costco because I've always found a better price elsewhere and, from my observation, the Costco tenderloins are not as well trimmed as elsewhere. I do like Costco meats and I think that if you have a membership, it would not be an error to pick one up there, just a personal preference of mine.

So I think using the ads to find the best price on a big tenderloin in cryovac or asking the grocery butcher to trim up that sale-price tenderloin will get you a good test bed for recipes. Caputo's meat dept. really goes the extra mile so if you are a beef novice, they can be a lifesaver.

Once you get something perfected, then you can move up to the butcher shop tenderloins if you wish, but beware of sticker

costco has two different whole tenderloins in cryovac: a fairly untrimmed one with the chain and side muscle and silverskin and lots of fat still on (usually $9-10/lb, i think), and a peeled, side muscle OFF for around $14-15/lb which has been trimmed before it got to costco.

If you know how to do it, you can save a good bit of money by buying the untrimmed one and doing it yourself, and then using the leftovers for kebabs etc.

the $5/lb discount tenderloins you'll see at caputo's etc are usually usda select rather than choice, but that might not matter with as much with a cut like filet which is naturally tender and low in marbling.