This recipe uses a wine soaked cloth to wrap the meat in a salt cure. Use a 100% cotton food safe cloth. Why it works: The 100% cotton cloth is soaked in red wine, which works to hold in a thick salt crust. The salt crust helps pull out flavor through every bite through osmosis while it cooks. The cloth typically burns away while sitting on the coals, and the salt crust is broken off at the end, exposing beautifully cooked tenderloin . Its juicy, tender, and loaded with flavor.
Dish Info
Ingredients
5
servings
6
50
minutes
Ingredients
beef tenderloin
2
cups
thyme
kosher salt
chile powder
1
tbsp
lbs
Mexican oregano
100% cotton towel about 16” x 16” red wine optional butchers twine
1
Equipment
1
tbsp
tbsp
OTFC Pantry
Step 1
Pour out the salt across the towel into a thick layer, going from the left to the right side. Sprinkle the spices all over the salt. Prepare the beef when you’re ready to grill, not ahead of time.
Step 2
Roll the beef tenderloin in the spices, and place it in the middle of the salt. The tenderloin should sit parallel to your shoulders, with a corner of the towel pointing to you. Roll the cloth and salt, starting from the far end of the cloth, creating a compact roll. Take the points of the cloth at each end of the cylinder and tie them together on the top of the towel. Use butchers twine as needed if your towel is not able to be tied.
Step 3
Rake the charcoal into an even layer at the bottom of the grill. Lay the wrapped tenderloin directly onto the coals with the knot side up. Do not disturb it for exactly 9 minutes.
Step 4
Carefully flip it, cooking for another 9 minutes - or until you are within 5 degrees of desired temperature. The cloth will likely burn up, this is typical.
Step 5
Transfer the salted beef to a metal platter or baking sheet and allow it to rest for 2 minutes. Using the back of a chefs knife, hit the salt crust to crack it open.
Step 6
Remove the tenderloin and brush off excess salt, slicing it on a cutting board immediately. Serve and enjoy!
Brad joins the OTFC Wolf Pack as an expert recipe collaborator. He is the professional recipe developer, food writer, and culinary photographer behind the bold website, ChilesandSmoke.com
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