Grilled Beef Tenderloin

In junior high they loved showing us E. Coli videos. I don’t know if they got a thrill of scaring us out of eating hamburgers or they really wanted us to learn about the disease...epidemic...sickness? Whatever it was, ever since then I have cooked my meat well done. No pink. Brown all the way through. 

Well, while studying abroad, I didn’t have the luxury of cooking the meat to my liking. They liked it medium rare. And instead of refusing to try it, I decided to forget the awful videos and just take a bite. And it was so good! It was so tender and so flavorful. What had I been missing out on???

So I really wanted to try meat again...cooked to the appropriate doneness. I went to the butcher to get the beef tenderloin, which to my surprise is another name for filet mignon. Yes, a little more than the average steak, but I had already picked out the recipe and I had my heart set on it. (And my dad was paying because it was for Mother’s Day at my Nana’s.)

This recipe is so easy. When you get a good cut of meat, I guess you don't have to fuss with it that much. 

Mix up the spices.

 Rub on beef.

Drink wine.

Sear on all sides.

Cook until 130 degrees.

Slice up and serve.

GRILLED BEEF TENDERLOIN - Serves 6

Adapted from Food & Wine 2009 Annual Cookbook

(printable version)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

One 2½-pound beef tenderloin, tied

Directions: 

Set up a grill for indirect grilling, with the coals on one side, and heat to 450 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper with a fork. Rub the beef the spice mixture. Oil the grate and grill the beef directly over the coals, turning, until seared on all sides, about 12 minutes.

Move the beef away from the coals. Cover and grill for 25 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the tenderloin registers 130-135 degrees F for medium-rare. If you prefer medium, cook until 140-145. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest in a foil tent for 10 minutes.

Slice the beef about a ¼-inch thick and serve with a deep, velvety Merlot. (It’s the Food & Wine Cookbook, so it tells you how to pair all of the recipes.)

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