VinSentio Food & Wine Pairing - Grilled Whole Beef Tenderloin with Balsamic-Glazed Shallots and Stilton

This time of year, when the weather shifts back and forth from near balmy to frosty, it can be challenging to create a seasonal menu. Holiday festivities are long gone and the winter chill seems to linger on forever ... the luscious roasted squash and slow-simmered soups that you found soothing and heart-warming in February have lost their appeal as you long for foods that are fresh and lively. Unfortunately, here in the Northwest, we have awhile to wait before we see the arrival of the first of the spring harvests … baby artichokes, tender leeks and local asparagus.

While it might seem a bit early to bring out the grill after its winter respite, it’s the perfect answer to these late-winter culinary doldrums. If you haven’t tried your hand at preparing whole roasts and chickens on the grill, you’ll find it to be an ideal solution for early spring cooking. The meats are every bit as rich and comforting on chilly nights as if you’d roasted them, but they have a hint of that toasty, smoky flavor that promises warmer days to come. This recipe featuring a whole beef tenderloin grilled over hardwood is a perfect example.

Grilled Whole Beef Tenderloin with Balsamic-Glazed Shallots and Stilton

This is an unbeatably elegant dish that calls for a spectacular wine such as the Windy Point Syrah. Begin the meal with a salad of tender lettuces and frisee with dried cherries, toasted walnuts and Balsamic-mustard vinaigrette. Serve the tenderloin with creamy smashed red potatoes and grilled asparagus.

Serves 8
1 5-pound beef tenderloin
4 tablespoons
olive oil
Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Balsamic-Glazed Shallots, recipe follows
1/2 to 2/3 cup crumbled Stilton, or to taste
Rosemary sprigs for garnishing

Prepare the tenderloin for grilling or have your butcher do so (see notes below).
Drizzle the tenderloin with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Mix together the garlic, oregano, rosemary and parsley. Rub over the surface of the tenderloin, pressing to adhere it firmly. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

While meat marinates, prepare the Balsamic-Glazed Shallots and then prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Preferably, use a charcoal grill (such as a kettle) with real hardwood charcoal. Of course, a gas grill would work as well, but won’t lend quite the same depth of flavor.

Clean and oil the hot grill grate and grill the tenderloin, turning with tongs (not a fork, let you release succulent juices) until seared to a dark crust on all 4 sides and cooked to desired degree of doneness (about 6 to 8 minutes per side for medium rare, 145˚F on an instant-read thermometer). If the outside of the tenderloin darkens before the inside reaches your desired degree of doneness, move it to a cooler portion of the grill.

Tent with foil on a cutting board and let rest for about 5 minutes. Remove the string and carve crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange, overlapping on individual serving plates and top with warm Balsamic-Glazed Shallots and sprinkle with Stilton. Serve immediately.



Balsamic-Glazed Shallots

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil, more if necessary
3 cups thinly sliced shallots

1/3 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup fine-quality Balsamic vinegar*
2 tablespoons honey, or more to taste
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook slowly until very soft, sweet in flavor and fragrant. If they begin to brown, reduce heat immediately to low; add additional oil as necessary. This should take about 20 minutes — rushing the process by keeping the heat too high won’t produce the same rich, sweet flavor.

Add red wine, Balsamic vinegar and honey. Simmer until all the liquid is gone and season to taste with the salt and pepper.

*The quality of your Balsamic vinegar truly does make a difference. Poor-quality Balsamic can be watery and too sharply flavored.

Preparing a whole beef tenderloin:
Beginning at the tail (narrow) end of the tenderloin, pull away the “chain” (the fattier, ropelike strip of meat running the length of the tenderloin). Trim the thickest end of the meat to give the tenderloin a uniform diameter and cut out the thick pocket of fat that connects the thick end of the meat to the center portion. Save the chain and the piece cut from the thick end for making kebabs or stir-fry. Trim off remaining visible fat. To remove the silver skin (a narrow sheath of white/iridescent sinew covering the tenderloin) loosen it with a sharp knife at the narrow end of the tenderloin. Pull it off in 1-inch increments, pulling toward the thick end of the tenderloin so you don’t tear the meat. Find where the tail begins to thicken (about 4 inches from the end) and slice about halfway through. Fold it over and tie it using butcher’s string or kitchen twine. Tie the thick end as well to create a uniform, cylindrical shape.

This recipe is courtesy of http://www.vinsentio.com, a Washington wine club & store

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