Chateaubriand

Smoked beef tenderloin: Began with a 5 pound hunk of meat. Separate the "chain" from the main roast; remove all silverskin and excess fat.

Tie the remaining chain into an even round log with butchers string. Shape the main roast as well, folding the tail onto itself to keep the log as even as possible; tie off with string.

Dry brine the meat with kosher salt (half tablespoon per pound). Allow to rest, uncovered, in fridge 12-24 hours.

Sprinkle some Butchers Phosphate TR powder onto the meat. Sprinkle some ACCENT as well. Drizzle some Head Country marinade (not too much).

Then apply the beef rub (no salt in the rub, since the meat was dry brined).

My rub includes lots of pepper, some garlic,mustard powder, shitake mushroom powder,  some onion powder, some chile powder; a little cayenne, a touch of brown sugar, and a good portion of freshly ground, fresh rosemary & thyme herbs. See recipe below.

 Smoke at low temp 180 for around 90 minutes or so to absorb smoke. Then kick up the temp to 225 and continue to smoke until meat internal temp is 125-130.

Transfer the meat to the grill; onto Grill Grates heated to 600 degrees for a good sear. Yeah, I use a laser thermometer to measure the grates. Sear on all sides for a few minutes to get a nice crust. Baste the meat with melted butter infused with garlic, rosemary, and thyme as you rotate and sear the meat.

Aim for around 135-140 for a perfect medium rare. Remove and let the meat rest while loosely tented under foil. Slice and enjoy!!!

Sound Q Beef Rub:

3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 teaspoons of smoked paprika

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons chilli powder

1 teaspoon or so of cayenne

2 teaspoons of shitake mushroom powder; 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire powder.

Add freshly ground thyme & rosemary herbs….  Use a spice grinder.  Around 2 teaspoons of each, but who measures?

Sound Q Beef Rub:

note: there is NO salt in this rub!  When preparing beef, we prefer to dry brine the meat at least an hour before cooking. We sprinkle Morton's Kosher Salt over all sides of the beef, using one half tablespoon per pound of meat. After adding the salt, allow the meat to rest uncovered in the fridge for at least an hour.

3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 teaspoons of smoked paprika

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons chilli powder

1 teaspoon or so of cayenne

2 teaspoons of shitake mushroom powder; 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire powder.

Add freshly ground thyme & rosemary herbs….  Use a spice grinder.  Around 2 teaspoons of each, but who measures?

Baby back ribs: trim the racks, removing fat and thin meat flaps.

Rub thoroughly with Sound Q Willy's 2 rub (or your favorite rub).

Rest 30 minutes, and then place in pellet smoker at 180 degrees (max smoke setting). Infuse w smoke for one hour.

Then up the cooking temp to 250 and contrinue to smoke/cook for two more hours.

Every 30 minutes or so, spritz the meat with apple juice/water/red vinegar to keep it moist.

Remove ribs from smoker and lay out on thick aluminum foil. Sprinkle the meat side with some brown sugar, drizzle some Tiger sauce (Asian sweet chile sauce), some spicier rub, and brush to coat evenly. Flip the ribs bone side up and repeat.

Wrap the ribs tightly in aluminum foil (twice) and return to smoker, at 250 degrees.

Exactly one hour later, begin checking the ribs for doneness (bend test, poke test). Keep a very close watch.... sometimes you only need another 5-10 minutes of cook time.

Go too long and the meat will be overdone and falling off the bone; we want the meat tender but able to leave bite marks (competition style).

Remove from foil wrap, add a glaze or finishing dust (finely ground rub) and return to smoker for a few minutes until the wetness solidifies a bit.

Shrimp bruschetta:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large or 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 pound extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 packed cup arugula, chopped
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes. Rub the warm toasts with the cut side of the garlic. Set aside.
• For the topping: In a medium skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 2 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste, and add them to the skillet. Cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.
• In the same skillet, add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook over medium-high heat until the tomatoes start to soften, about 4 minutes. Turn the heat to high. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the stock and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tarragon, arugula, mascarpone cheese, and chopped shrimp. Stir until the mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the toasts on serving plates and drizzle with the sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper before serving.