Beringer Wines Grill-Off Competition

A big thank you to the fabulous folks over at Beringer Wines for hosting me in Washington D.C. for their Grill-Off.

Here I am with Paula Deen’s sons: The Deen Brothers!

Grillin’ in action…with the Food Network camera rolling…

Me n’ my Grill Master…these grills were amazing!

I had such an amazing time and truly enjoyed meeting all of the other regional grillers.

And now, for my Regional Finalist Winning Recipe:

Balsamic Encrusted Fillet Mignon with Goat Cheese

Wine Pairing: Beringer’s Pinot Noir

Ingredients

• 2 (12 oz.) Fillet Mignon’s
• 2 Tbsp. Organic Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 Red Onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup Pumpkin Seeds
• 1/4 cup Bran Crumbs
• 1/2 ripe Avocado, mashed
• Dash of Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Dash of chili powder
• Handful of Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• Handful of Fresh Basil, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Goat Cheese
• Lemon wedges, juice for topping
• 2 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Heat grill to high.
2. Combine bran, pumpkin seeds, fresh cilantro, avocado, tomato sauce, red onion, fresh basil, chili powder, Sea-Salt and pepper in a food processor; blend until mixture is the consistency of paste.
3. Spoon a thick layer of the pumpkin seed mixture on top of each fillet.
4. Lay each fillet on the hot grill; cook till desired doneness.
5. Serve each fillet with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a squeeze of fresh lemon and a dollop of Goat Cheese.
6. Enjoy!

Tagged as: Beringer, Beringer Wines, bran, fillet mignon, grill, pumpkin seeds, Washinton DC, wine