Tried something new - Tamarind (Beef) Tenderloin

Hi all,

Tried this recipe last weekend. Came out really good, and wanted to share. The recipe came from Sublime Smoke by Bill Jamison. Details on my cook posted on our blog at http://www.fearlesskitchen.com/2009/01/recipe-tamarind-tenderloin-guest-post-from-fearless-grill.html


(first picture taken in our new light box - no more pictures of the clutter on our kitchen counter!)

The original recipe called for 1.5 lbs of beef tenderloin, but the smallest piece I could find was 4.5 lbs, and we just weren't that hungry, so I substituted filet mignon, which is just a smaller cut off a tenderloin anyway. I doubled the amount of the rub, since the 3 pieces of steak had more surface area than a single piece of tenderloin would have. This also changed the cooking time, since the steaks cooked substantially faster than a single larger piece would have. I used the Trex method of cooking the steaks - a quick sear as hot as the Egg would go, then cooked at about 300 degrees till done.

Overall, we really liked this, even the cream-based sauce which we were afraid might make the dish too heavy. My wife usually likes here beef really rare, but I got distracted by the dog and accidently overcooked it, but she still loved it. On a side note, we're really not sure why Jamison calls this 'Tamarind Tenderloin', since there isn't any tamarind in the sauce or the other ingredients, but who cares - it's good anyway!

1.5 lbs beef tenderloin
2 tablespoons Pickapeppa Sauce (this is a store bought sauce)

For the Rub:
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground dried ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon brown sugar

For the Sauce:
3 ounces cream cheese
6 tablespoons Pickapeppa sauce
3 tablespoons half and half
3 tablespoons minced jarred garlic

About 2 hours before cooking, coat the meat with the Pickapeppa sauce and put back in the fridge in a ziploc bag. When ready, coat with the rub, and let sit while you prep your Egg. Sear the outside of the meat, then remove the meat from the Egg and close the vents, letting the temp drop back to about 300 degrees. Put the meat back on, and let the temperature come up to your liking. Remove and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving. During that time, mix up the sauce, and serve on top or on the side.

Enjoy!

-John