This entrée is served with Compote of Smoked Bacon, Wild Mushrooms, Glazed Sweet Potatoes and Pecans.

Yield: 4 servings

Glazed Pecans

Ingredients:
1/2-cup water
1/2-cup sugar
2 dried red chilies
1 cup whole fresh pecans
1/4-cup molasses

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
   
2. Combine water, sugar, and chilies in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Add pecans and return to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
   
3. Drain and place pecans on a baking sheet. Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pecans from oven and pour into a small bowl. Add molasses and toss to coat. Return nuts to baking sheet and place in oven. Bake for an additional 45 minutes or until pecans are very crisp and crunchy but not burned.

Compote of Smoked Bacon, Wild Mushrooms, Glazed Sweet Potatoes, and Pecans

Ingredients:
1/2-cup reserved molasses marinade
1 cup veal demi-glace
1 cup 1/2-inch-dice smoked slab bacon
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 cups wild mushrooms, any type
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 cup sweet potato balls
1/2-3/4 cup pearl onions peeled
1 Tbs. brown sugar
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1/2-cup Glazed Pecans
Salt to taste
Fresh lemon juice to taste

Directions:

1. Reduce reserved marinade in a small saucepan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Add demi-glace and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce coats and back of spoon. Remove from heat and keep warm.
   
2. Render bacon in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes or until cooked. Remove from pan and reserve.
   
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
   
4. Melt butter in an ovenproof medium sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, add sweet potato balls and pearl onions. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add brown sugar and cider vinegar and stir to combine. Sauté for 2 minutes. Place pan in oven and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally to glaze evenly. Remove from oven. Add bacon, mushrooms, reduced marinade, and glazed pecans. Stir to combine. Season with salt and lemon juice.

Beef Tenderloin Marinated in Molasses and Black Pepper

Ingredients:
2 pounds center-cut beef tenderloin, trimmed of all fat and silver skin
1 cup molasses
2 Tbs. fresh cracked black pepper
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 large shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. finely chopped thyme
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Salt to taste
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
Compote of Smoked Bacon, Wild Mushrooms, Glazed Sweet Potatoes, and Pecans (recipe to follow)
4 sprigs of watercress

Directions:

1. Place beef tenderloin in a glass dish.
   
2. In a small bowl, combine molasses, black pepper, garlic, shallot, ginger, thyme, and pepper flakes. When well blended, pour over beef. Cover. Refrigerate, allowing meat to marinate, for 24 hours, turning occasionally. Remove meat from marinade, reserving 1/2 cup for Smoked Bacon Compote and 4 tablespoons to deglaze pan. Place on cutting board, and using sharp knife, cut into 8 portions. Season with salt.
   
3. Heat oil in a large cast- iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, lay beef medallions in skillet and brown for 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness is reached.
   
4. Just before removing meat, add 4 tablespoons reserved molasses marinade to skillet to deglaze the pan as well as to glaze the medallions. Quickly turn meat over to glaze other side. Remove from skillet immediately.
   
5. Place 2 medallions near the center of each of four hot serving plates, overlapping each other.
   
6. Spoon the Smoked Bacon Compote next to the medallions, letting the sauce flow out onto the plate.
   
7. Place a sprig of watercress in between the meat and the compote.
   
8. Serve immediately.

Recipe by Dean Fearing, Executive Chef, The Mansion on Turtle Creek