Whiskey Butter Injected Beef Tenderloin

So I've been playing with my "meat injector" (thanks for the overseas delivery JuneDaye!) or a few months now and I'm starting to get the hang of things. But here's a quick run down if you are thinking of entering this strange a interesting new realm:

Ummmmm. Meat Syringe.

Butter is Better - I once heard a French chef describe butter as the "magical ingredient" for a variety of different reasons, but he was dead on. Adding butter (and possibly bacon) to just about anything won't hurt it, but it will make it better. Just watch your arteries, ok?

I've also read a lot of articles about injecting meat with stocks, etc. Not a bad idea either, but I'd keep it simple. And stay away from injecting anything too salty into your meat and then letting it rest, you're just going to toughen it up.

Let it Sit - Once you inject your meat, you need to let it rest. Like a good marinade, it takes time for the flavours to really take. Meat is dense and the longer you can let it sit and soak up all that goodness, the better. Thus, prepare your injection and your cut with a few hours to spare. Wrapping it in plastic wrap and tossing it in the fridge works too.

Long and Thin - Although I really like using "grey mustard" as an emulsifier in a lot of my marinades (the grainy stuff), meat injectors are a different ball-game. In this regard, you can make your injection sauce with whatever you want, but I highly recommend you run it through a screen or a sieve before you crank up your syringe. You'll save yourself a lot of headaches in the long run.

Whiskey Butter Beef Tenderloin

adapted from Ted Reader's Gastro Grilling

First off - you're going to have to learn to clean the "silver" off a tenderloin. This is an essential skill and it takes a bit of patience. I first learned how to accomplish this on pork tenderloins, but it works the same on beef. 

N.B. to my Bali peeps - For the past four years, I've been buying local beef tenderloins at Hardy's for about 145 000 IDR per KG, and then cutting them into my own Filet Mignon steaks. People are always impressed and/or surprised that's it's local beef, but it's all about the preparation.
Don't feel like you have to break the bank and buy super high quality cuts just to have a good steak. If you know your cuts and you know your stuff (like, do I marinade or do I rub?) then this is a non issue.

The "silver" is that big tendon running down the top of your loin. It is thickest at the top and spreads out and gets thinner towards the bottom. Take a small pairing knife, and slide it under the thick tough part at the top, hold the thick end tightly, and flip the knife over so the blade is facing away from the meat. Then scrape the knife along the tendon (always edge up) and pull with your opposing hand.

It will probably take you a few time to practice and master this, lord knows I'm still an amateur, but removing this big tough piece allows your meat to pucker and cook properly. You can also take off the fatty bits at the bottom, but I like to leave them on.

Making the Whiskey Butter - Melt about 125 ml or 1/2 cup of butter in a pan, pour it into a shallow bowl, add a dollop of SMOOTH dijon mustard, and about 1/4 cup more of whiskey (I think I used some single malt because that's all I had in the house!) Whisk the whiskey (ha!) and the rest until it's nice a smooth and let it cool a bit before trying it out. Inject the lovely mixture into your meat, all over. It'll spill out all over the place, but get used to that. Then wrap the whole thing in some plastic wrap and toss it in the fridge for at least and hour or two.

Get a Chimney

Get a Chimney - After a few hours, take it out of the fridge and let the meat sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes - bring it up to room temperature before you start cooking it. This is an important step. I like to take this time to get my coals ready, my favourite technique these days is using a Chimney to light my coals: fast and gets them piping hot in no time. More lighting fluid, no more waiting hours for coals to be ready. Get a chimney and it'll be ready to roll in 10 minutes flat. 

Prep the Meat - I've been prepping my steaks the same way for a long time, but this may have been the first time I tried to cook a whole beef tenderloin from scratch. Normally I clean them and cut them into more manageable pieces. Then I brush the with oil and rub in the steak spice just before grill time. Ted Reader, however, suggested mixing the steak spice directly with the oil, and a couple shots of Worcester Sauce. Really nice, but same rules apply - only do this right before you are about to grill. Leaving any kind of salt on your meat for long periods of time is not advised!

Injected and ready for slathering

SEAR IN THE FLAVOUR - different meats cook best using in methods, and for most beef cuts, you wanna sear it in. Get your coals super hot, this is where the chimney comes in so handy, and be ready to to slap that sucker down. I seared mine for a good 5 minutes and then moved it over for some indirect cooking time. I rolled it every 5 minutes or so, for about another 15 minutes.

When the meat starts to "pucker," or not look so floppy - this is the BBQers signal to check the meat as to how you would like it "done." How do you know? Well, it sounds funny, but I poke my meat a lot, just with a finger. And over time, you start to learn what a MEDIUM-RARE steak "feels" like, as opposed to something "well-done" (or "shoe leather"). Don't cut it. Don't use a thermometer. Just practice and learn. Once you have removed the tenderloin from the grill - IT WILL KEEP COOKING. So just be patient, let it sit covered in tin foil, prep the rest of your meal, and slice it into delicious medallions after about 5 minutes of rest.

Then enjoy the "oooooooooooohs!" and the "ahhhhhhhhhhs!" you so rightly deserve.