Beef Tenderloin injected with Whiskey Butter

For reasons I do not entirely understand, whenever we get together with family we tend to have beef tenderloin.  No mater what state, household or mental condition we are in, beef tenderloin is almost always on the menu.  So, when the parental units were invited over for dinner, what did we have?  You guessed it, beef tenderloin.

When cooking for the masses, tenderloin is about as easy as it gets and if you buy a PSMO from Sam's and butcher it, it is really quite affordable too.

Since we were having tenderloin and I am forbidden from making Dad's recipe, I opted for something different and extreme.  Whenever I throw those two word together, I turn to Ted Reader's King of Q's Blue Plate BBQ.  It's extreme, different and then some.  Ted's recipes are usually 2 or 3 recipes deep, meaning you have to make something else to get what you want.  Although it takes effort and planning, he is really a hard core and fun griller.  My kind of guy.

Beef Tenderloin injected with Whiskey Butter Based on the recipe from Ted Reader,  King of Q's Blue Plate BBQ

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp + 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp whiskey (Ted used cognac...I, sadly, didn't have any) 1 tbsp + 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme 1 (2-4 lb) tenderloin 2 tbsp olive oil 1/4 of your favorite BBQ rub (Ted used his Smoked Salt Rub, which is awesome) 6 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced 1 lb oyster mushrooms salt and pepper

1.  In a bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the butter, 1/4 cup of the whiskey and 1 tbsp of the thyme.

2.  Fill a meat injector with the butter whiskey mixture and inject your prepped tenderloin in as many places as you can.

3.  Cover the meat with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge for a couple hours.  About 30 minutes before hitting the grill, remove the meat from the fridge and plastic wrap and cover with the rub.  Allow the meat to come to room temperature.  Prep your grill for direct medium.

4.  While the meat is marinating, add 1 tbsp of butter in a pan over medium heat.  Add the shallots, cooking for 3-4 minutes, until tender.  Then add the mushrooms, again cooking for another 3-4 minutes, until tender.  Add the whiskey and deglaze the pan by scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom.  Remove from the heat and stir in 2 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of thyme.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Keep the pan warm until dinner in served.

5.  Grill the tenderloin over direct heat for about 6-8 minutes a side.  Since I was cooking for different people with different tastes, I put the well done (yes, you may shudder) piece on first.  I added the medium rare piece about 12 minutes later (yes, you may applaud).  For medium rare, remove from the grill when it hits about 130 degrees...allow it to rest for about 5 minutes.  For the well done piece, remove it from the grill when it looks like it lost a fight.

6. After the meat has rested, slice and top with the shallot mushroom mixture.