TENDERLOIN TOWER

The fillet of beef is best when cooked on a grill or a Big Green Egg, but can be cooked in the oven, if preferred. The instructions below are for the Big Green Egg, which adds a hint of smokiness to the meat.

For the beef:

4- to 5-pound fillet of beef, trimmed and tied sea salt pepper

For the onion straws:

1 Vidalia onion vegetable oil flour

1 egg

For the cabernet sauce:

1 cup of good quality red wine beef drippings from fillet

2 pats of butter

2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce corn starch and water, to thicken your favorite mashed potatoes, to serve as a base for the tower

Light an ample amount of hardwood charcoal on the Big Green Egg and allow the temperature to settle at about 325, for about 15-20 minutes.

Amply season the beef with sea salt and pepper, to form a bit of a crust on the exterior.

Cut the Vidalia onion in half, and thinly slice it into 2- to 3-inch string sections.

Place the beef directly on the grill surface, with the top closed, and set to maintain a 325-degree temperature. Achieving a medium-rare internal temperature of 140 degrees should take about 45 minutes, and you’ll want to flip the meat during the process, to avoid too much char on any side.

To make the onion straws, heat about an inch of vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet, dredge the onions in egg, throw them into a large zip lock bag with the flour, shake to cover, and fry them in the oil, until crisp.

Set aside on a paper plate covered in paper towels, to soak up any excess oil.

Remove the fillet from the grill and place it, uncovered, on a cutting board, to rest for at least 1015 minutes, while you prep the cabernet sauce.

To make the cabernet sauce, melt the butter pats in the pan, pour in any beef drippings from the cutting board, the soy sauce, and about a cup of good red wine. Add a little salt and pepper, bring to a slow boil, and slowly pour in the corn starch-water mixture, until the sauce thickens.

If you haven’t done so already, pour yourself a glass of the cabernet.

Lay a few heaping tablespoons of mashed potatoes in the center of the plate.

Slice two 1-inch-thick slabs of filet, and arrange them over the mashed potatoes.

Pour the cabernet sauce over the meat and potatoes, to cover.

Sprinkle a heaping pile of onion straws over the filet.

When completed, the entire concoction should rise about 4-5 inches high, creating the tower. Serves: eight to 10

446 calories (percent of calories from fat, 57), 40

COURTESY OF JIM SHAD The Tenderloin Tower is a filet of beef that is best cooked on a grill or Big Green Egg, but can be cooked in the oven.