Fall is just around the corner and, as much as I enjoy the ingredients of Summer, it’s nice to move back into the rich and complex flavors that smoking and braising offer.

This dish was inspired by a dish by Chef Brian Campbell of Johnson and Wales University here in Charlotte, and was featured on our Chef’s Table last week.  It features cured and smoked CAB Prime beef tenderloin, sweet and tart pickled mustard seeds, tender braised cabbage finished with crisp green apple, savory and slightly bitter rye, and a light and satisfying whipped horseradish cream.  The flavor profile is reminiscent of a Reuben sandwich.

The beef tenderloin for this dish requires some time to prepare, but it has consistently been described as the best steak our diners have ever had.  For this preparation I always use CAB Prime beef tenderloin, for it’s superior marbling and the consistency of the sizing.  I start by cold smoking the beef tenderloin with hickory for about twenty minutes, just long enough for the beef to pick up the scent of hickory but without it becoming too powerful.  Then the beef tenderloin is seasoned with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, ground coriander, dry rosemary and granulated garlic.  It is placed in cryovac and then cooked at 137 degrees Fahrenheit for 2.5 hours.  It is placed in an ice bath immediately to stop the cooking process.

To serve, the tenderloin is seared quickly in a cast iron skillet in a 1,600 degree broiler to create the outer crust that most people are familiar with.  The tenderloin is then sliced and finished with several flecks of coarsely ground sea salt.