For Father's Day I planned on a nonstop cooking marathon; consequently, that did not happen. As a result, I have been slowly trickling my intended menu for the day I was supposed to grill and smoke meat over the past several days, and today is another one of those occasions.
What did I do?
I hand cut my own filet mignon and served my family the most tender, medium-rare steaks they have had in years for a fraction of the price of one at Ruth's Chris steakhouse.
INGREDIENTS
One whole beef tenderloin
Bear and Burton's W sauce
Killer Hogs The A.P. Rub
STEP ONE. Since this is most certainly an exquisite meal for a special day, find the most appealing beef tenderloin your favorite meat market has available. If the preferred big box retailer has one, by all means pick up the cut that fits within your budget; if there are any on sale, snag an extra tenderloin to throw into the deep freezer and save it for the holidays. Remove it from the cryovac packaging and pat the meat dry with paper towels before breaking it down. Of course, cooking the thing whole necessitates paying close attention to prevent the devastating mistake of overcooked steak.
To break down a whole beef tenderloin, follow these steps:
A. Slice off the head and tail, and trim the silver skin.
B. Save the head, tail, and chain for beef stew this winter: Your significant other will thank you.
C. You have the option to slice the remaining tenderloin into steaks any size you desire. In this case, portion control is your friend. I sliced the meat into seven even filets using the three-finger measurements. [I measured with three of my fingers - my Alpha Phi Omega brothers remember the hand sign - it's the same one Boy Scouts use. Do it for L, F, S]. Your results may vary depending on the size of your beef tenderloin; mine was a little over five pounds.
STEP TWO. Before you head outside, season the filets with only kosher salt and cracked black pepper
(Note: I went KH's The A.P. Rub since it carries the same notes. - Friendly pitmaster's privilege). Since I spent too much money on this piece of protein. I'm putting some respect on the cow that gave up a muscle for our enjoyment by giving it a liberal shaking of salt on all sides for failure means I made a rookie move and became worthy of that other smoke - not the kind from lump charcoals. After that, light your grills and set them up for a two-zone fire.
STEP THREE. Now that the seven filets are on the grill - see, the Weber kettle got the assignment today - place them on the indirect side of the cooker. Let each steak cook in peace until they reach 120 degrees. Following that, sear them for 90 seconds per side; the diamond hash marks one would associate with outdoor cooking do not matter at this price point. Pull at the appropriate doneness - for me, it is 128 degrees or medium rare. Allow them to rest before devouring this incredible piece of protein!
Serve with your favorite style of potatoes baby reds, russet, jumbo, or mashed, shrimp, and something green to keep the cardiologist away for one more day. A few of you may prefer the breadbasket to keep coming to sop up the butter with the shrimp, but do you.
My take: Damn.
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| So good, I had to get the nice paper plates 😎 |
Why has it taken so long to do?
With so many of my friends and family members' wedding anniversaries coming up - ours is August 6 - this would be the showstopper needed to keep those lovebirds in the backyard and free up extra cash for adult beverages, babysitters, etc. That being said, this Angus beef tenderloin owes me nothing at all.
Thank you for reading this post and taking the opportunity to do some next-level barbecuing beyond the usual hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, and ribs. Enjoy the oasis better known as the backyard with each other and as always...be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!
