Beef Tenderloin

A little fresh rosemary adds a lot of flavor to this simple but festive roast.

Editor's Note: This recipe was originally part of a menu by Bobby Flay for a backyard barbecue. For the complete menu and Flay's tips on throwing a party, click here. Mustard is one of my favorite condiments. I like to use it for dressings, sauces, and, in this case, a glaze. Be sure to leave the skewers on the grill long enough to get the beef nice and crusty on both sides. This means you have to be patient, and remember: Don't turn them often.

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Katie Brown Entertains. To read more about Katie Brown and to get her tips on throwing a headache-free cocktail party, click here.

The trick: Give it a rub.
Outside spa land, great crusts usually come by way of the deep fryer. Inside spa kitchens, however, chefs know that by massaging fresh herbs, dried chiles, and other spices onto the outside of meat or fish before searing it in a hot pan, you can create a flavorful "skin" without any fat. Scott Uehlein, corporate chef at Canyon Ranch Health Resort in Tucson, Arizona, went for sweet and spicy when he developed these Moroccan-Spiced Beef Medallions. They call for lean tenderloin (ask for 0" trim), which delivers iron, zinc, and B12. You can also go Tuscan (basil, oregano, rosemary) or Provençal (lavender, sage, thyme). Just follow your taste buds.

Wish you were here in Philadelphia, eating a cheese steak. No doubt about it, cheese steak is the quintessential Philly food. Too bad it can pack more than 60 grams of fat. To keep the greasy drippings from staining shirts, Philadelphians have learned the "Philly lean," a way of bending forward to the cheese steak rather than bringing it to the mouth. Self's "Philly lean" features a trimmer cut of meat, less cheese and more peppers so it has about half the calories and a third of the fat of the original — and provides 60 percent of your daily vitamin C needs.

Pho Bo Vietnam's favorite convenience food is usually purchased at street stands, where the quality of his or her broth can make or break a cook's reputation. The secret ingredients in ours are meaty beef shanks, charred ginger, and onions.

These beefy bites are filling enough to stand in for a meal.

Tenderloin roasts vary in shape, size, and weight. For this recipe it's important that the tenderloin be of uniform shape and size. If you can't find a whole tenderloin, 2 center-cut pieces will work. (cut a whole one in half in order to brown it on top of the stove.)

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Red Wine-Braised Beef Tenderloin with Red Pepper and Rosemary

Hearty and delicious fare from Byron's in London, England.

Serve Cabernet Sauvignon with the steaks.

Here's a centerpiece dish that really lives up to the name. Uncork a Cabernet Sauvignon, red Bordeaux or red Super-Tuscan.

Pour a full-bodied red wine, such as a Bordeaux, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.

Use a blended Canadian whisky (purchased legally, of course). It is slightly sweet and will help balance the peppery sauce that naps the roasted beef tenderloin. Team the beef with some roasted potatoes, sautéed spinach and a favorite bottle of Pinot Noir.

This quick, rich entrée is terrific served over buttered noodles.