Temp. for Beef Tenderloin

A little last minute, my apologies. I am cooking a tenderloin, roughly 6-6.5lbs for guests tonight. My receipe calls for 500 degrees for 15 minutes, then 375 for 20 muinutes thereafter. My question is, of 8 people 4 like rare-medium rare, 2 like medium and 2 like "more than medium but not well done". I do not want to ruin this beef by over cooking. Any suggestions on what temp to get it too before letting it rest? Thanks so much for your help. (I have acutally considered cutting the thing into 2 pieces but hesitate to do that). Again, thanks.

A little last minute, my apologies. I am cooking a tenderloin, roughly 6-6.5lbs for guests tonight. My receipe calls for 500 degrees for 15 minutes, then 375 for 20 muinutes thereafter. My question is, of 8 people 4 like rare-medium rare, 2 like medium and 2 like "more than medium but not well done". I do not want to ruin this beef by over cooking. Any suggestions on what temp to get it too before letting it rest? Thanks so much for your help. (I have acutally considered cutting the thing into 2 pieces but hesitate to do that). Again, thanks.

I wouldn't hesitate to cut it into two pieces and start one before the other one - why not? But if for some reason that won't do, then I would take it to 145 in the very center, then let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Cut the ends off (enough for the medium well people) and if they're too pink, throw them back in the oven (or onto the grill) briefly. Serve the rare people the very center and the medium people the pieces from either side of the very center.

Good luck! That's a tall order.

I second Marsha's solution. With a bit of luck, you purchased a whole tenderloin, tail on. That would help your cause tremendously!

(Here's crossing fingers...)

Thank you both. Yep, it is whole, tail on and I even trimmed it myself (YUCK). Never done that before, always spurged on having the butcher do all that work. I thank you for your responses. This beef is getting cut in two! And hopefully cooked to oreder. (Or as least as close as possible.) Thanks again.

And...heh....next time, don't ask your guests for temp preferences! Just cook it medium rare. It will be a revelation to the people that like it cooked medium well, and since they're guests they'll be polite about it and not say anything - and ultimately they will start ordering it medium rare because - well, it tastes better! Sneaky, but easier.

You are so right. What was I thinking? My plan is to serve enough pomegranate martinis before dinner they won't care if the beef is more rare than they think they like!

there you go!

Cut that bad boy in half. Rare-medium rare for half, medium for the other half. Perfect. Barely any left, but enough for a snack tomorrow! Thanks for the input. (And I think the martinis helped!)

Yay martinis!