Bacon-Wrapped Venison Tenderloin Medallions... It's Fall !!!

Venison Tenderloin Medallions:
Prep:  1/4 cup of EVOO & White Wine Vinegar in a zip-loc bag with the medallions for overnight in the refrigerator.

Dry Rub:
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp ground sea salt
1/2 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
Let the tenderloin sit at room temp for 2 hours, with dry rub applied, before grilling.

Bacon:
I pre-cook the bacon in the microwave for a few minutes before I wrap and grill the venison.  I cook the bacon a little more than half way done, however long that is in your microwave.  Afterwards, I use two pieces per medallion and pin with a toothpick.

....a lil "sip" whilst grilling!  Cheers...

Whole Beef Fillet

Whole Beef Fillet (~ 6 lbs) purchased from Tag'z 5Star Meats, Murfreesboro, Tn.

Prep process:  

Whole tenderloin was trimmed @ the butcher (Tag'z).  The trimmings become about 1 lb of ground beef.  

Dry Rub:

Apply a generous coat of EVOO to the fillet before applying the dry rub mixture.  The dry rub mixture consists of the following ingredients:

1 Tbsp fine ground kosher or sea salt

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp fine ground black pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 Tbsp fresh, finely chopped, rosemary (optional)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.  Apply the dry rub evenly over the tenderloin.  I let the tenderloin sit for about 2 hours, at room temp, before I wrap it in saran wrap & aluminum foil for overnight in the refrigerator.  Leave the fillet in the fridge for 24 hours (or a minimum of 8 hours) before cooking.

Cooking process:

Remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator 2 hours before you cook it.  Let it sit at room temp during that time so the fillet can come back to room temp.  I cook mine in a 9x13 pan with a wire grate in the bottom.  Don't put the fillet directly on the pan, it will stick...

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.  Place the fillet in the oven and cook for 20 minutes @ 450 degrees.  This gives the fillet a nice sear on the outside.  After that time expires, reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees.  Using an instant read thermometer (or other), cook the fillet to 130 degrees, internal temp, for a nice med-rare.  After you remove the fillet from the oven, place a piece of aluminum foil over the fillet (tent) and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.  It will continue to cook a little so if you prefer your fillet Rare+, cook the fillet to 125 degrees internal temp instead of 130.  After the resting period, slice the fillet as thin or thick as you prefer.

bon appetit...

Horseradish Sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tsp spicy brown mustard

4 tsp prepared horseradish

Mix these three ingredients thoroughly and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Apple-wood Smoked Boston Butt

Prep process: 8 lb Bone-In Boston Butt

I started the prep process by spraying the Butt with a mixture of Apple Cider Vinegar & Black Label Jack Daniels (1/2 cup of each in my spray bottle).  I keep it wet for 60-90 minutes, spraying frequently.

The Dry Rub Mixture:
I like to try different dry rubs and this rub was different from all my previous.  Mix all the ingredients, below, in a mixing bowl.  You can put a light coat of Yellow Mustard all over the Butt to help hold the dry rub or not, your choice.  Apply the dry rub all over the Butt.

2 Tbsp Coarse Black Pepper
2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
2 tsp Chipolte Chile Pepper
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper (2 if you prefer a little more bite)

After the dry rub has been applied, I let the Butt sit at room temp for a couple hours.  After that time, I wrap it with Saran Wrap and then Aluminum Foil and place in refrigerator overnight.

Next, I remove the Butt from the fridge and let it sit at room temp for at least 2 hours before I put it on the smoker.  You don't want the meat to be cold when it goes on the cooker.  The final piece of the dry rub is now layering on 1 Cup of brown sugar (light or dark) all over the Butt just before you place it on/in the smoker.

I cooked this piece for 9 hours over indirect heat and kept my smoker at 250 degrees (225 - 275 will be fine).  I used a few large pieces of Applewood during the cooking process as it give pork a nice flavor.  Lastly, I continue to use my Apple Cider Vinegar & Jack Daniels spray, about every 90 mins, to keep the Butt moist.  I cooked this Butt to 180 - 185 degrees internal temp and it pulled apart, with a fork, very nicely.  I do let the meat rest for 30 minutes before I pull it apart.  It was so good that most people didn't want BBQ sauce on theirs, your call.

Cheers and bon appétit...