John Myers
Are you in the mood for a juicy, pink beef fillet? It’s all a question of the right core temperature. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about the core temperature of the beef fillet.
Note: The beef fillet cuts have different names. In Austria, for example, it is called lung roast. In the US, however, it is called tenderloin.
Cook fillet of beef
Beef fillet is particularly suitable for pan frying. A gentler cooking method is slow-cooking, in which the meat cooks for several hours at low temperatures. Of course, the cooking time depends on the size of the meat. Because there are also different cuts with different sizes for beef fillet. But one thing remains the same: the core temperature.
However, to ensure that the fillet of beef gets the same doneness everywhere, you should make sure that the meat is about the same thickness everywhere. Otherwise, it can happen that your beef fillet is wonderfully pink in the middle, but is already completely cooked through on the edge.
Tip: Let the meat rest for a few more minutes before slicing. This allows the meat juices to spread throughout the piece. The result: a juicy fillet of beef.
Core temperature for fillet of beef: table
With the help of our core temperature table, you can see exactly what temperature the fillet of beef needs for the desired doneness.
Cooking level and core temperature
- bloody / rare – 48-51 °C
- bloody pink/medium rare – 52-54 °C
- pink/medium – 54-56°C
- through / well done – 60-62°C
Measure core temperature
A meat thermometer can be used to determine the core temperature. There are already integrated thermometers for this in new oven models. The oven then switches off automatically when the desired temperature is reached or reports with a signal.
However, the perfect core temperature can also be determined with a classic meat thermometer. And this is how you measure the core temperature of beef fillet:
- Carefully insert the thermometer at the thickest point
- Lead into the middle
- read temperature
Attention: Do not pierce the beef fillet too often, so that it does not lose too much meat juice. Because that’s how it stays nice and juicy.
Cooking test with your finger
If you don’t have a meat thermometer, you can use your hand. The measuring method is not that precise, but it helps to estimate the right cooking level, even without measuring the core temperature. The degree of softness of the meat is compared with that of the palm of the hand using different finger positions.
- rare -> bring your thumb and forefinger together
- medium -> bring your thumb and ring finger together
- well done -> bring your thumb and little finger together
