Beef Tenderloin with Chipotle Chili Rub and Zesty Chimichurri Sauce

We recently spent a weekend in London Ontario at Samantha’s house, where we hosted a little dinner party with some old friends.  It was such fun reconnecting with them in their beautiful city.
We put together a classic make ahead menu, centred around a grilled beef tenderloin, that we rubbed with a chipotle spice mix a day ahead of time, served with a chimmichurri sauce, full of fresh herbs, that we also made ahead. That left us with a few simple tasks the day of the party: preparing a few vegetables for the grill, including the sweet potato recipe below and buying a dessert. A word about the appetizer -Ginny's Cheese and Bacon Bites.  They may seem like a "cheeesy" blast from the past dish, but believe us, they are a real crowd-pleaser and impossible to resist after you have tried one!!

Ginny’s Cheese and Bacon Bites

These are not the most healthy choice, but a few of these tasty morsels every so often is a nostalgic treat.

6 strips bacon, cooked until very crispy, and crumbled

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

3 green onions, minced

½ cup Hellman’s mayonnaise

Dash tobasco sauce

Soft sliced bread, crusts removed

Mix the prepared bacon, cheese, onions, mayonnaise and tobasco sauce in a medium bowl.  Spread the mixture on bread slices, then cut each slice into bite sized pieces (about 6 per slice).  Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350° for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and bottoms are slightly browned and crisp.

Beef Tenderloin

1 whole beef tenderloin

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground chipotle chilies

½ teaspoon mustard powder

Olive oil

Up to one day ahead, combine all the rub ingredients in a small bowl and mix well with a fork.  Pat dry the tenderloin, and rub the spice mixture all over the meat.  Cover tightly and refrigerate until 45 minutes before cooking.

Remove from the fridge and pat the tenderloin with paper towels to remove any excess juices that have accumulated.  Brush all over with olive oil to prevent sticking to the grill.

Follow the directions for grilling Beef Tenderloin, using our fool-proof 20/20/20 method!

Chimichurri Sauce

Handful of each:  parsley, cilantro, and mint, washed and thoroughly dried (about 1 cup of each)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

½ jalapeno pepper, coarsely chopped

Juice of 1 ½ limes

¼ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

In the bowl of a food processor, chop the herbs, garlic, pepper and lime juice.  Add the oil while the motor is running and season with cumin and kosher salt, to taste.

Can be prepare 2 days ahead, covered tightly and refrigerated.  Serve at room temperature.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Sautéed Apples

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large tart apple, peeled and cut into 16 wedges.  Halve each wedge.

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon maple syrup

2 tablespoons white wine

1-2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves

In a large bowl, toss sweet potatoes, olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Place them on a preheated grill on LOW, and cook until browned and tender.  Meanwhile, heat the butter in a sauté pan until hot and beginning to brown.  Add the apples in a single layer and brown both sides.  Drizzle with maple syrup and white wine.  Cook until the liquid is almost evaporated and sprinkle with sage leaves.  Toss both the grilled sweet potatoes and sautéed apples back into the large bowl and mix gently.  Serve hot.

 On another note:

 GO RANGERS GO!!






It was an exciting game last night, with the Kitchener Rangers besting the Plymouth Whalers with a 4-2 victory. This hard fought win put them into game 7 of the Western Conference semi-final series.  Good luck in Game 7!