It’s that time of the year again. . . pumpkin spice lattes are all the rage, the stores are full of candy, turkeys are on sale, and the hardware store is already selling blow-up snow globes. Yep, it is the start of the holiday season, and nothing says (or screams) “the holidays” more than food and wine. At this time of year, we all crave a good meal—we dream about it, and some of us count down to it! But in all truth, who really wants to wait? Lord knows I don’t; you don’t have to wait for the holidays to eat and drink like it’s the holidays. Every day is an opportunity for good wine and good food. And with all that said, we all crave a good piece of roast beast (beef) around this time of year.
A good piece of beef that has been rubbed or marinated for 12 hours, then placed in the oven for two to six hours, fills a house with aromas. You begin to dream about tastes, because the aromas allow you to pre-taste the beef as you eagerly await the oven to go “bing!” to let you know it is time. The whole process is like Christmas for the taste buds! No wonder we associate a good roast with the holidays.
But as with the holidays, take your time, don’t rush, and enjoy it! The secret to a good roast is time: time to marinate, time to cook, and time to rest. I always recommend allowing at least 12 hours, depending on the size—you want to allow time for the marinade to soak into the beef. But never add salt to the marinades, since salt will pull out moisture and cause the end result to be dry. Marinating is the first step to good flavor development. Always season with salt just before cooking, which leads us to that low and slow cooking. The lower the temperature, the longer the cooking time. A longer cook time will produce a more tender piece of beef and better absorption of flavor (juice will leach out and flavor will soak in). Once the cooking is done, let the meat sit. Don’t touch it! This rest period will allow the beef to retain flavor and moisture. Just cover the beef with a piece of foil and let it sit for about ten minutes prior to cutting it.
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A good roast also gives you the opportunity for some tremendous one-pot cooking by adding vegetables to the pan. Both will cook at the same time, and the vegetables will soak up the drippings (which is definitely good stuff). With a roast, just as with wine, there is no right or wrong, but only what you choose. A roast can be a large rib roast or a medium-size tri-tip or even a whole tenderloin to be different. Just as with a good wine, there is never a wrong time to enjoy it. And just as with the holidays, it is worth the wait!
The following recipe is for a whole tenderloin that is slow-roasted over open coals, but it will work just the same in the oven. The tenderloin is rubbed with a beautiful coffee rub (mixture of ground coffee and spices). The earthiness of the beef and coffee go hand in hand, which leads directly to a rich Cabernet. This Cabernet Reserve definitely has a rich mouthfeel and a balance of other notes (sorry, no spoilers) that pair beautifully with the earthiness of the beef. Add a touch of flavored butter to each portion, and it’s like Christmas: “magical.”
Coffee Spice Beef Tenderloin
1 tbsp. brown mustard seed
1 tbsp. yellow mustard seed
1 tbsp. fennel seed
1 tbsp. black peppercorns
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 cup coffee, ground
4- to 5-pound beef tenderloin
- Heat a dry skillet over medium flame. Add the seeds and peppercorns. Move the seeds around and cook until you begin to smell the spices.
- Remove from heat and stir in paprika. Grind in a spice grinder for about one minute (until all uniform and the bits are about the size of the ground coffee).
- Stir spices into coffee and mix thoroughly.
- Clean and trim the tenderloin and completely cover the beef with the rub, creating a nice layer of seasoning all over the beef. Save any excess seasoning for another project or sprinkle over the top of the beef. Place the beef in a pan and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat a grill to medium-low heat.
- Remove the beef from the refrigerator and season all over with salt. Place the meat on the grill and rotate it about every five to ten minutes to promote even cooking.
- Depending on the grill, cooking will take 45 minutes to an hour. You’re looking for an internal temperature of about 120 degrees.
- Pull the beef from the grill and let it rest on a tray on a cooling rack and cover it with foil. Let the beef cool for about 15 minutes prior to serving.
**Note** Although the cook time may appear to be short (it still considerably longer than a cook time for a steak), it is due to the thickness of the beef tenderloin. The key to this particular roast is the low, controlled heat. Thicker cuts will require a longer cook time.
