Roasted Beef Tenderloin

Step 1Preheat the oven to 475°F.

Step 2Trim away some of the fat to remove the silvery cartilage underneath. With a very sharp knife, begin taking the fat off the top, revealing the silver cartilage underneath. You definitely don't want to take every last bit of fat off—not at all. As with any cut of meat, a little bit of fat adds to the flavor. (Hint: you can also ask the butcher to do this trimming for you if the process seems intimidating.)

Step 3Sprinkle the meat generously with Lawry's Seasoned Salt. You can much more liberally season a tenderloin because you're having to pack more of a punch in order for the seasoning to make an impact. Start with Lawry's Seasoned Salt. Rub it in with your fingers. Sprinkle both sides generously with lemon pepper seasoning. (There are no measurements because it depends on your taste, but be sure to season liberally.)

Step 4Place the peppercorns in a zip-top bag, and with a mallet, hammer, or a large, heavy can, begin smashing the peppercorns to break them up a bit. Set aside.

Step 5Heat some olive oil in a heavy skillet. When the oil is at the smoking point, place the tenderloin in the very hot pan to sear it. Throw a couple of tablespoons of butter into the skillet to give it a nice little butter injection before going in the oven. A minute or two later, when one side is starting to turn nice and brown, flip and repeat.

Step 6Place the tenderloin onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Sprinkle the pummeled peppercorns all over the meat. Press the pepper onto the surface of the meat. Put several tablespoons of butter all over the meat. Stick the long needle of a meat thermometer lengthwise into the meat. Place it in the oven until the temperature reaches just under 140°F, 15 to 20 minutes. Stay near the oven and keep checking the meat thermometer to make sure it doesn't overcook.

Step 7Let the meat stand 10 minutes or so before slicing, so it will have a chance to relax a bit.

Step 8To serve, you can spoon the olive oil/butter juices from the skillet on top of the meat for a little extra flavor.