re: Cooking a whole tenderloin for Christmas

Just remember that a tenderloin has far less fat than a ribeye rack does. Whereas you can "over season" a ribeye rack and not be too concerned with it because it will produce lots of moisture and basically wash much of it off, a whole tenderloin, in my experience, cooks dry...in other words, whatever you put on it will be there when you get done. It is very easy to put too much salt or pepper on a tenderloin. Other than that, it's about the same. Cook it the same way you would a rib rack...low and slow to 120 or so and then a quick sear to make an nice crust. I make them a fair amount since there is a place local that sells them at like $6.99 a pound pretty regularly. $40 for filet mignon for a family of 5.....twice....can't beat that.