Spiced Beef Tenderloin with Mango Hot Pepper Salsa - HELLO flavor!

I need to come forward with a couple of confessions before we get this recipe rolling. Confession #1: My husband brought this meat home for me from Shield's Meats in Kennebunk (best meat in the world, by the way). I asked him to get me a small beef tenderloin, which I have cooked once before and felt quite comfortable doing again. Well, just after the moments I had prepared it and popped it in the oven to roast, my husband walked inside the house. The dialogue that followed went a little something like this:

"Is that apple pie I smell?" he asked in delight.

"No, that's the beef tenderloin."

"The beef tenderloin? What did you put on it?"

 I proceeded to describe the spice rub in glowing excitement. "I know, I know - it's a little different, but - I thought I would experiment a little."

"Wow baby... I don't know if I would choose filet mignon to experiment with."

"WHAT?! THAT'S FILET MIGNON?!!"

So there it is.  I cooked an entire meal not knowing that I was using the choicest of cuts of beef, not to mention the fact that beef tenderloin and filet mignon are from the same part of the cow. Some Gourmet I am. And at that point, panic set in - I felt a new desperation for the meal to be delicious.

Confession #2: My husband and I had differing feelings about the meal. He loved it - devoured his and then finished off mine, as a matter of fact. I, however, felt it was a little funky. The cinnamon with the beef created a flavor that my taste buds had never before experienced, and I spent the whole time trying to decide if I loved it or hated it.

Confession #3: I hate cilantro. I shouldn't have used it, and you shouldn't either if you don't like the flavor. That's all.

This meal is what I would call controversial, which I believe gives it some glamour. My charge to you is this: Know that you will be cooking with some expensive beef, and if your taste buds are timid, proceed with caution. Or try this recipe on grilled chicken. If you are feeling daring, innovative, and are truly ready for a Gourmet Weekday experience, then by golly, full steam ahead.

*This recipe is loosely interpreted from Fairchild's The Bon Apetit Fast, Easy, Fresh Cookbook (2008).

Ingredients
Mango Hot Pepper Jelly

• 1/3 cup hot pepper jelly
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 1/2 cups chopped mango (about 2 mangoes)
• 1 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• Fresh cilantro (more or less depending on personal taste)

Spiced Beef Tenderloin

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 1/2 tablespoons crushed sea salt
• Olive Oil
• 2 (more if serving more than 2 people) 6-ounce beef tenderloin cuts

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Meanwhile, mix cinnamon, sugar, paprika and sea salt in a small bowl to create the spice rub for the beef. Brush beef with olive oil, then cover in the rub. Once the oven has preheated, place in small roasting pan (I like to line mine with tinfoil for easy clean-up), pop spiced beef in for 25 - 30 minutes, checking for doneness. * This is easy to overcook. Use a meat thermometer and check regularly to make sure you achieve the temperature you want. *

2. While the meat cooks, whip up the salsa. Whisk the jelly and lime juice together in a large bowl, then add the rest of the salsa ingredients and mix. 

3. When the meat is nearly done cooking, top with mango hot pepper salsa and pop back in the oven to warm it up. When the meat is cooked perfectly to your tastes, pull out of the oven and serve.

While this meal looks fancy, it is surprisingly easy. The part I had the most trouble with was simply peeling and chopping the dang mango. I hear you can buy it like that in the grocery store. What a concept. I served this with a pile of mashed potatoes sprinkled with green onion and roasted broccoli and summer squash. The summer squash is pictured below because, well - it's from my garden and I think it's just the most beautiful sight. Isn't it magnificent? 

I could go on and on about the splendors of eating veggies from your own garden, but I will spare you this time. I hope that you enjoy this recipe, and would love to hear your feedback and/or adaptations! What worked for you? What should we all try? 

Eat well, friends! 

- Deidre