51: Grill Action -- Herb-Roasted Filet Mignon / Corn Stuffed Artichoke with Bacon

Thank you, Mother Nature, for not raining while I ran the Capitol Hill Classic this morning and grilling this evening. Tonight’s dinner is mostly grilled, except for the artichoke. The coals impart a subtle smokiness to the meal, and the red wine is a nice addition to dinner.

Herb crusted filet mignon pairs well with a grilled corn stuffed artichoke. The stuffing is made complete with green bell pepper, onion, and the artichoke heart. The meal takes a little patience as it’s about an hour from start to finish with a lot of moving parts.

We drank a tempranillo cut in half with grenache that is simultaneously full bodied, jammy, and earthy. It goes very well with grill flavor.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 lb filet mignon, 2 filets

1 tablespoon each fresh rosemary and sage, minced

2 whole artichokes

2 medium ears of corn

1/4 quarter of a green bell pepper, diced

1/3 of an small onion, diced

2 pieces of bacon

Garlic powder

Salt and pepper

1/4 stick butter

Half a lemon

Peel most of the husk of corn off, but leave a layer or two on for cooking. Soak corn in a bowl of water for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, start the charcoal, and prep the artichoke. With the artichoke, chop off stem and thorny parts of leaves. Additionally, chop an inch or so off of top of artichoke. Add a couple inches of water, salt, pepper, and sliced lemon (helps prevent discoloration) to a pot; boil. Add artichokes standing right side up, cover tightly and steam for 35-40 minutes.

The coals should be ready now, so add the corn to the grill. Turn every 10 minutes, should be done in about 30 minutes – it will be burnt looking and ashy. While corn cooks and artichoke steams, press herbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into both sides of each steak. Set aside for later.

Remove corn and artichoke from respective cooking devices, let cool. Start bacon. Remove husk and silk from corn, wash under warm water to remove excess silk and ash, and then shave corn kernels off ears of corn. Also,lightly push artichoke leaves down, but do so with caution because you don’t want the artichoke leaves to fall off right now. Drain bacon and wrap in paper towels, crumble when cool. Reserve a few tablespoons worth of bacon fat and add 1/4 stick of butter. Also add your steak to grill at this point. When butter and bacon grease is sizzling, about 3-4 minutes, add bell pepper and onion. Sauté for a few minutes, add salt and pepper, and then add shaved corn to the mixture. Sauté for a few minutes until warm. Add salt and pepper to taste, and spoon into artichokes. Garnish with bacon. Don’t forget about your steaks. Cook until desired temperature.

Enjoy!