Cedar Planked Filet Mignon & Scallops with Smoky Compound Butter - 5 stars

i stole this recipe from one of my newer favorite blogs, www.food-fire.com. every recipe i have made so far from that blog has been a full mind-blowing five star meal. this one was no different! the only issue i had was with the smoky compound butter - i ate too much of it, and it made me feel really sick. so... yea - nothing wrong with the recipe at all, just me, over-consuming. :-)

i put the cedar plank on a large jelly roll pan, poured water over the top, and placed a heavy bowl on top of the plank to keep it fully submerged in the water. i then marinated the scallops and popped them in the fridge. the smoky compound butter came next. this was the first time i've ever used spanish paprika - i *almost* cheated and used regular paprika, because the spanish version was pricey. but i didn't - and i'm so glad that i didn't! it's a completely different spice than regular paprika. it is earthy and smoky in flavor - mild, not spicy at all, whereas regular paprika just doesn't really have much flavor at all, in my opinion.

(i actually made two separate smoky compound butters - one with real butter for tony, and one with saffola unsalted margarine, for myself.)

while the scallops were marinating and the butter was chilling, i prepared the steaks and asparagus. i had some filet mignon tenderloin leftover from christmas, so i cut it into thick steaks, wrapped a piece of bacon around the outside of the steaks & secured with a toothpick. i topped them off with a generous dose of freshly ground sea salt & black pepper. i let them sit at room temp while i prepared the asparagus (chop off the ends, toss them in a baking dish with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper) and turned on the BBQ.

i won't regurgitate the cook portion of the preparation of this meal, because i think dave does a great job of it in the recipe below. however, my steaks must have been a bit thicker than his, or my bbq not as hot as his, because they required a few minutes longer to get to medium rare than dave's recipe suggests. tony likes his steak to be a true rare - bloody, almost raw in the center, so his was fine, but mine did need a few more minutes to get to medium rare.

definitely five stars, just don't eat too much butter!

For the Steaks:

2 beef tenderloin steaks, 1 1/2 inches thick or better
2 slices bacon
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Tightly wrap one slice of bacon around each steak, securing with with a toothpick. Season both sides with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

For the Compound Butter:

1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup) at room temperature, divided in half
1 tablespoon Smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Melt half of the butter and pour into a mixing bowl. Add the spices and mix until until well-combined. Let cool until mostly solid. Add the remaining butter and whisk to combine. Spoon mixture onto a large ramekin, cover with a sheet of waxed paper, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Chili Lime Scallops

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or cayenne pepper
1 lb sea scallops

Whisk lime juice, oil, garlic, chili powder, salt, and cayenne together in small bowl. Add scallops and toss to cover with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate, basting once with marinade, for about 30 minutes.

Asparagus

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Please the spears on a plate and drizzle with a little oil and vinegar. Turn to coat then sprinkle with salt.

The Cook

The goal is to put everything on the grill at the right time so that it’s all done at once. It’s important to work quickly, so have your mis en place, some warmed plates stacked nearby, and an oven set on low as a backup in case you need to stash a dish that finishes early.

Use a food grade plank that’s been soaked in water for at least an hour. Set your grill up for direct cooking at high heat (about 500°F).

When the grill is up to temperature, put the plank on by itself for about 5 minutes, or until you see the first wisps of smoke coming from the board. Flip the plank over and set it beside the grill with the warm side up.

Sear the steaks for 2-3 minutes on each side. Put the plank back on the grill with the warm side up and move the steaks and the scallops to the plank. Close the lid and cook until the steaks and scallops are right around 120°F internal, about 10-15 minutes.

Add the asparagus to the grill. Leave the lid open and grill for about 5 minutes, turning frequently, until the spears begin to brown and caramelize.

Ideally, the asparagus should be done at the same time the steaks have reached 135°F internal (medium-rare) and the scallops are opaque and have just started to flake a bit. Remove everything to warm plates, top the steaks with a pat of the compound butter, and serve.