Ingredients
1 center-cut beef tenderloin (3 to 4 lbs.)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
12 large fresh basil leaves
12 fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
6 to 9 garlic cloves, minced
About 2 tsp. sea salt, divided
About 1/2 tsp. pepper, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sage, basil, or thyme sprigs
Preparation
1. Bring meat to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cut through meat horizontally (parallel to work surface) to within 1/2 in. of other side. Lay meat open like a book and spread with mustard, then top with basil and sage leaves. Sprinkle with thyme leaves, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
2. Close up roast and tie with cotton string at 1-in. intervals. Rub all over with oil and sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
3. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect medium heat, using a drip pan filled halfway with warm water. Grill beef over indirect-heat area, covered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 130° to 135° for rare, 60 to 70 minutes. Transfer beef to a platter and let rest 20 minutes.
4. Remove string. Top beef with herb sprigs. Slice and add salt and pepper to taste.
How to set up your grill for indirect heat
*On a charcoal grill: Ignite about 60 briquettes on the fire grate of your barbecue. Let burn until coals are dotted with ash, about 25 minutes, then push coals to one side and lay a drip pan on the other side. Set grill in place.
*On a gas grill: Turn heat to high and close lid for at least 10 minutes. Adjust heat to medium and turn off burners as needed to create a hot and a cool zone for indirect cooking. Set drip pan in cool zone; set grill in place.
From Sunset magazine October 2010
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3 comments
Great tips and looks very tasty! Next time try it with grass fed beef. You will love the flavor. La Cense Beef is a great site to learn all about the meat and to get amazing grass fed steak recipes to try to see if you like it.
Yum! Thanks for your comment, Kara!
Great recipe, sounds good right now with roasted potatoes and a glass of wine. The basil however, doesn’t grow easily in the winter garden, so you can sub parsley and/or rosemary. Parsley makes a great sub for basil in winter pestos as well.