25
Coffee-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
Serves 8 — Pictured on page 22.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
1
(3-pound) beef tenderloin
3
tablespoons finely ground coffee
3
tablespoons dark brown sugar, lightly packed
3
teaspoons kosher salt
1
teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5
carrots, peeled, halved and sliced lengthwise
11 pounds small red potatoes, halved
2
small white onions, quartered
2
teaspoons dried rosemary, crumbled
2
tablespoons olive oil
4
tablespoons butter
1
cup red wine
2
cups beef stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
HOW TO PREP
On a sheet of parchment, tie the tenderloin with cooking twine,
knotting securely at 1-inch intervals. Trim ends of twine. In a small
bowl, combine coffee, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, cumin and
cayenne. Rub the mixture all over the tenderloin. Put it on a rack and
let sit for 1 hour to come to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Put the carrots, potatoes and onion in
the bottom of a roasting pan. Add 1 teaspoon salt, rosemary and olive
oil. Toss to coat the vegetables.
Put the tenderloin on top of the vegetables. Roast for 21 to 3 hours,
checking after the first 2 hours, until interior of the tenderloin is 130
degrees. Remove vegetables from the pan and place in a bowl. Pierce
with a fork to check for tenderness. If not tender enough, microwave
vegetables at 3-minute intervals until they reach desired tenderness.
Keep covered and warm.
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a cast-iron skillet. When the butter
is hot, transfer tenderloin to the skillet and brown until very dark on
all sides, adding another 2 tablespoons of butter as needed. Put the
tenderloin on a cutting board and cover with foil.
Make jus. Put the roasting pan over
a burner (or two) on the stove and
heat over medium heat. Add wine.
With a wooden spoon, scrape up
the browned bits on the bottom of
the pan until they dissolve in the
wine. Cook until reduced by about
half, about 5 minutes. Stir in beef
stock and cook until reduced again
by about half, another 8 minutes
or so, stirring occasionally. Taste
and add salt and freshly ground
black pepper to season as needed.
Pour through a strainer or sieve
into a serving bowl.
Snip the twine off the tenderloin
with cooking shears, using tongs
to remove the twine completely.
Slice tenderloin into 1-inch-thick
servings. Serve with the jus and
vegetables.
Grilled (or Baked) Chicken Drumsticks
with Coffee Barbecue Sauce
Serves 4
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
3
pounds chicken drumsticks, thighs or wings
Creole seasoning
1 cup catsup
1/3 cup brewed coffee
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
11 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2
garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
HOW TO PREP
Sprinkle chicken with Creole seasoning. Let sit while heating a grill to
medium or preheating an oven to 375 degrees.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine catsup, coffee, brown
sugar, vinegar, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir occasionally until
mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
TOGRILL:
Put the chicken on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, for
20 to 25 minutes for drumsticks or thighs, or 10 to 15 minutes for wings.
Brush with sauce and grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted
in the center, not touching bone, reads 165 degrees, then cook another
5 to 10 minutes for wings and longer for bigger pieces. The sauce will
begin to caramelize on the chicken. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn.
Brush again with the sauce just before taking off the grill.
TO BAKE:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking or roasting
pan with foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken
with Creole seasoning and put it on the pan in a single layer.
Prepare barbecue sauce as directed. Bake chicken for 30 minutes,
turning once. Remove from oven. Brush the sauce all over the chicken,
coating well. Return the pan to the oven and bake 10 minutes more for
wings and 20 minutes more for bigger pieces. Glaze once more with
remaining sauce and heat 5 to 10 minutes longer. (Check drumsticks,
wings and thighs for doneness by cutting into a piece.) Serve hot, cold
or at room temperature.
COOKING