On Tuesday I gave you the Cole’s notes of my Tobermory cottage weekend. Today I’m going to share one of my personal favourite highlights from the trip, no surprise it has to do with eating.
With summer officially wrapping up this week, I thought it only appropriate to do another recipe test on the grill (after all Beer-Can Chicken was such a success). On the menu for my family’s Sunday dinner at the cottage, Mushroom-Crusted Beef Tenderloin.
In terms of ingredient accessibility, it doesn’t get much easier than tenderloin, mushrooms, butter, oregano, garlic and olive oil. That said, I do feel I must warn you that good tenderloin is, I suspect for most, a bit of splurge. (I know it sure was for me!) But it’s worth it. This tender cut of meat comes from the back and is boneless and fat-free. It was incredible to cook with and to eat. To cut costs, opt to cook for a smaller crowd then you can divide the recipe in half. (I did this for my table of six.)
I’m happy to say this recipe was quite easy to make. I just minced and sautéed the crust ingredients, then removed the silver membrane from the tenderloin (gently run the tip of your blade along the meat and you’ll loosen the fine membrane that you might not even realize is there). Then it was time to get my hands dirty and I patted my roast with my crust mixture.
Finally, I popped the roast on the grill at 225 degrees. Sounds simply enough, but for me this was a bit of a nightmare. I have no clue how to regulate the temperature of a barbecue so I spent the next hour trying to keep the heat consistent. Seemed every time I walked away to tend to the rest of dinner, I’d come back to a grill that was smoking hot or too chilled out. Very stressful when the recipe says the only way to ruin the dish is by overcooking.
Luckily all’s well that ends well and my efforts were not in vain. After about an hour and half I was carving a juicy, perfectly cooked piece of beef that had everyone in the cottage salivating. They were not disappointed. The meat cut like butter and tasted like heaven. There was not a morsel leftover, everyone at the table was a fan.
Tenderloin not in the budget? I understand and have a few ideas. I think trying the mushroom-crust on another boneless cut of roast (even pork) could work. Thick slow-roasted boneless steaks could also work. Of course you’ll have to adjust your cooking temperatures and times, but then you kind of do with the original recipe any way if you’re a novice regulator like me.
As always tips and suggestions for how I can improve my skills are always welcome. I’d also love to know if you have a recipe you want me to test for you? Leave me a comment below. I always appreciate the feedback.
Thought that was sweet? You'll enjoy:
