Prep: 5 min., Stand: 40 min., Broil: 15 min., Bake: 35 min.

Ask your butcher to trim the tenderloin, or do it yourself. Use a sharp, thin knife to cut away the top layer of fat and the thin (about 2-inch-wide) membrane called silver skin.

Garnishes: fresh thyme sprigs, roasted garlic bulbs

Combine first 5 ingredients; pat mixture evenly over beef. Cover and stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Broil 6 inches from heat 15 minutes on a lightly greased rack in a roasting pan; reduce oven temperature to 375?, and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 140? or to desired degree of doneness. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with Portobello-Marsala Sauce (BigOven recipe 163395). Garnish, if desired.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Cybil Brown Talley, Atlanta, Georgia

Southern Living, NOVEMBER 2005

Grove Notes: Made a second time 12/25/06. Our tenderloin was 6 lbs, so I trimmed the short end into fillet mignons for tomorrow night. Instead of broiling the loin, I grilled it over high heat before putting it into the oven. Superb. Some of the best beef I've ever had.

9/5/09: Sear over 600f fire on the Big Green Egg (or your grill) 1 min per side. Put on indirect heat at 400-425f and cook to 130 internal. We pulled at 137 and it was more medium than medium rare after rest time. Also, I didn't really care for the smoke from the oak, which I usually like for beef. It wasn't a heavy smoke, maybe tenderloin just absorbs smoke too easily? Either way, just use plain lump coal next time or a fruit wood like cherry.

I'd estimate the roasting time AFTER the sear as about 45 minutes but I was watching the thermometer, not the clock.