Po' Man's Tenderloin

If there were ever a recipe that is a "family tradition"...this one is it for me.
The original was given to my parents after they got married (1965) from my mother's sister Frances and husband Kenneth. I have made sure to include this at the end so you can see how it's morphed.

Po' Mans was originated to be a sit-down meal that would impress under a tight budget...and what's a tighter budget than year one of marriage? My father has been grilling this meat and ceremonially cutting each slice in front of guests for years and my mother has beautifully served it on Royal Doulton china more times than I can count...it's in the hundreds. There are a good many stories that accompany this meat. I won't bore you with all but one or two won't turn you away.

ONE...My father told my godmother's mother and best friend that it was buffalo meat from Yellowstone. My father is quite the storyteller (guess that's the lawyer in him) and everyone at the dining table couldn't believe how wonderful it was. I phone call the next morning asking for the Buffalo Meat Recipe had my mother in horror! What? I have never eaten buffalo meat, what on earth? You can't believe a word Webb says! She shrugged her shoulders, I'm sure cut my father some fierce eyes and said no...it's just Po' Mans...aka Buffalo Meat to all who were at the dinner party that night!

TWO...Rich and I also like to entertain and have a few shindigs of our own. Our presentation is more buffet style than the traditional but we tend to feed 20-30+ and this recipe works for that too. So, to celebrate our nuptials we decided to have Po' Mans served at our reception. Two days before the big day my father...father-of-the-bride...had two grills heated, a cooler of beer and 22 slabs of meat....and it rained on top of that! Note to self...thank my father AGAIN for that! Most people thought what an amazing caterer we had that serve perfectly aged tenderloin. As usual phone calls came in the next day to my mother with rave reviews of the meat and how they could get it. Well, it's just Po' Mans.

Needless to say, this is by far the best meat I've ever had...I'm partial since I grew up with it, but a HUGE hit at every sit down dinner or buffet-style party. Enough chit chat...here's how to prepare and grill Po' Mans.

Ingredients
1 3-1/2" -4" top of the round
2 oz. tenderizer*...if not more
4 tablespoons garlic powder*
4 tablespoons black pepper*
4 tablespoons lemon pepper*
1 stick butter, cut in half lengthwise

Amounts of ingredients should be altered based on size of meat *Seasonings should cover meat liberally. It all depends on the actual size you get from butcher...it's never exactly what you ask for!...part of the Po' Mans essence.

The recipe goes like this...

Juke til you can't juke no mo.

Go to meat department and order a 3½-4 inch top of the round, trimmed. Tell the butcher you are going to grill it and cut it against the grain.

Take a big meat fork and start juking. Juke all six sides and don’t be timid about it...just juke the heck out of it. When you think you’ve juked enough...then juke it some more (or ask your husband, wife, child etc to take over). Juke til you can't juke no mo.

Liberally marinate the meat by coating it in tenderizer, garlic powder, black pepper and lemon-pepper. When done the meat should be covered with dry seasoning...and you can’t put too much!

Let the meat sit out at room temperature for at least 4 hours (covered).  The longer the better.

When you are ready to cook the Po' Mans get the charcoal or gas grill as hot as you can. Sear four sides about 5 minutes each, then 7 to 10 minutes of two sides. Total cook time should be 35-40 minutes.

Po' Man marinating.

Take meat straight from the grill to a plate with half stick of butter under meat and place half stick butter on top of meat. Let rest for ten minutes. Carve in thin slices across the grain. The juice will mix with the butter to make real good gravy.

The final product should be seared to burned on outside and real pink on inside. Tell your guests that it’s Tenderloin properly aged (of Buffalo Meat) and they won’t know the difference.

Definition: Juke means to puncture meat in a rapid, repeated rhythm to your favorite song until you think the meat is sufficiently tenderized.

The original recipe (I have it written in Frances’s hand writing). Daddy really altered it!

Charcoaled Round Steak
Top of the round 2½“ thick (about 7 to 8 pounds) Moisten both sides with water. Coat with unseasoned tenderizer, seasoned salt, lemon pepper, garlic powder and coarse ground black pepper. Pierce with a ford. Let sit out on counter about half a day. Cook about 25 minutes on a side. Have platter warm. Melt 1 stick of butter on bottom of steak and rub one stick in on top. Add wooster sauce and lemon juice for gravy. Cut steak in thin (¼”) slices. Serve with gravy on meat. Serves 8.