What to do with “chateaubriand”?

[RW]

Greetings,

I received my starter kit a couple of days ago. I practiced on one of the provided small bags a couple of times using a single steak and after getting the technique down, went on to seal up two “chateaubriand”s. (One is 2.5lbs and the other is 3.5lbs). I put quotes around that because IMO a chateaubriand is the middle part of a tenderloin, not a part of the top sirloin.

I plan on bagging a slab of ribeye next time, but didn’t want to commit to that much meat as my first test.

Question: has anyone else dry aged a “chateaubriand”? What did you do with it afterwards? Cut it into steaks? Treat it like a roast?

Thanks!

[Ron Pratt]

Welcome to the forum, RW!

Probably the reason you haven’t received any replies is that just like me I haven’t tried to age such an already tender and PERFECT tiny piece of beef! I’m not sure aging it will make it any more tender let alone would I want to just waste any of it by having to cut away any of the “rind” that becomes the outer aged surface. OTOH since you have already sealed it in a Drybag I’d go out on a limb here and suggest not to go longer than say 14 days at most and then NOT trim it. Whatever you decide I hope you reply back as you are a pioneer!

Ron

[RW]

Thanks for the response! To clarify, what I am using as my inaugural drybag dry aging is what the butcher calls chateubriand, which is apparently a “thick cut top sirloin” chunk. (And NOT the center of a tenderloin.)

From what I have read online, top sirloin should benefit from dry aging. I’m just not familiar with what one does with this cut of meat, especially if it has been dry aged.

BTW so far the bags seem to be working great, with no air leakage. Thanks to the forum posters I avoided two key mistakes I would otherwise have made: 1. keeping the snorkel free (I used the bag massage technique instead of a paper clip); and 2. applying even pressure across the sealer instead of just pressing down in the center or on the two ends (I use my forearm to apply even pressure all the way across the bar for the final seal – works great!)

[Ron Pratt]

Not sure if your butcher is playing fast and loose with the name, but a true Chateaubriand is not too big and typically only is large enough for two nice fillet-type cuts. May I suggest you treat them as you would a fillet as I’m sure they will be tender. Serve with a mushroom sauce or a Bearnaise sauce.

My fancy potato balls were made using a melon baller and then browned in a frying pan in which I keep them rolling!

Ron

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