December 26, 2011: Rosemary Roasted Beef Tenderloin Recipe

Normally a cut of meat like beef tenderloin is out of my budget but I found a nice little piece on sale at the grocery store recently and brought it home. I’d never cooked beef tenderloin before so I was a bit hesitant, not wanting to ruin such a good piece of meat. I did a bit of sleuthing online and prepared it this way, which turned out great!

Rosemary Roasted Beef Tenderloin

2 t. olive oil

One ¾ - 1 lb. beef tenderloin

Salt and pepper

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 ounce fresh rosemary sprigs

1/3 c. dry red wine

1 T. butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In an oven-proof skillet, heat olive oil to medium. Sprinkle beef tenderloin with salt and pepper; brown briefly on all sides in oil. Transfer tenderloin to a plate. Add garlic, rosemary and red wine to the pan. Place tenderloin on top of rosemary sprigs. Place pan in oven and roast tenderloin for about 25 minutes for medium doneness. Remove from oven. Place tenderloin back on plate and tent with foil for five minutes. Meanwhile, add butter to the pan drippings and keep warm.

To serve: slice beef thinly against the grain and top with pan sauce.

Serves 2

May 7, 2011: Wine Burger Recipe

There’s a neat restaurant/bar up here in the White Mountain that calls itself famous for its wine burger. I’ve had it before, and it really is good – but not something I’d go out of my way to get.

Because my husband’s favorite meal is hamburgers but he doesn’t enjoy experimenting with the recipe – he’s all for plain burgers with McCormick steak seasoning and that’s it – I decided that from now on, I’d doctor up my burger a bit. I started with this concoction, based on what I tasted in the wine burger from The Lion’s Den in Pinetop.

Tip: Since Memorial Day is the official start of grilling season, this recipe is one to keep in mind for the holiday weekend.

Wine Burger Recipe

1 pound lean (93%) ground beef
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup dry red wine
1 T. minced dried onions
2 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
Coarsely ground black pepper
Salt, to taste
Sharp cheddar cheese
Condiments of your choice

Mix together all ingredients except the cheese and condiments. Form into patties and let rest for half an hour.

Grill over medium-high heat until done to your liking, topping with a thick slice of cheddar cheese and condiments of your choice (I like French fried onions, ketchup with a splash of fish sauce, and fresh lettuce, as shown in the photo here).