got beef?

[durangojo]

i've got a series of 'winemakers' dinners coming up so am in the process of menu planning. i have done quite a few of these in the past, so am familiar with the whole flow thing. in the past the 'meat' course always seems to end up beef tenderloin in some form..medallions, tournedos, petite filet, with a myriad of sauces, styles and preparations. i have done elk tenderloin many times as well. i would like to come up with something different...maybe a different cut of beef...tri tip comes to mind, but i am clueless about it. soo, what's in your head? also, any ideas on a duck confit course...thinking either asian style eggroll or a fancy pants quesadilla(not the cheesy gooey kind), more southwesty with crispy vegetables, cilantro, lime....that kind of thing...thanks all

joey

oh, pork is out

 

[french fries]

How about a nice grass fed beef? Tri-tip is great, and very simple to prepare in the original Santa Maria way: rub with S&P and powdered garlic, and grill or roast until medium rare. Whether I grill or I roast, I like to start at high temp to get some browning, then finish at a lower temp. Keep it red/pink in the center, rest for 10-15mn and slice quite thinly (1/4" to 3/8") across the grain (or diagonally across the grain).

Duck confit... you could get the duck fat and make pommes sarladaises (saute potatoes in duck fat), finish with a little parsley, it's a classical accompaniment for duck confit.

The problem with eggrolls is that they seem to taste better with some kind of acid - same problem with your idea of using lime. Acidic food/sauces, vinegar, lemon, lime etc... don't make for a good wine tasting experience.

 

[chefbuba]

I'll second the tri tip, and the simple rub is the key. Cooked over hardwood, mid rare... can't be beat.

I use a lot of apple wood, for me it's cheaper than mesquite or briquet's and is plentiful since I'm in apple country.

 

[teamfat]

I'll add another good word for tritip. Recently a local market had it for 2.99 a pound, wish I had more freezer space. Anyway, yes, a simple, light rub is very effective. It was snowing outside so the last one I did was rubbed with oil, then salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Then it was seared in a cast iron skillet and finished in a 350 F oven until 125 in the center, then rest. It is composed of fairly long grain muscle so the thin slices against the grain is key.

Another beef possibility is wine braised short ribs. I like those, make them about once a month.

Just yesterday I was thinking about roasting a goose. Maybe it had to do with driving past a golf course with a few hundred of them hanging out. That could be an interesting option.

mjb.