Marinated Tenderloin Fondue —rsquo; The Work Is Shared, the Meal Is Simple

Lightning storms on the north horizon. The fire watch is on. Cattle work this week. Patrick rode in the truck. He pointed out two heifers I had not noticed. He sees things I do not. The work is shared.

Patrick on the porch in the afternoon. Coffee in the good cup. The cottonwoods. Tuesday meeting in Roundup. Eight regulars. Three vets. I do not lead. I show up.

Cornbread in the cast iron. Crisp edge.

I sat on the porch with coffee Sunday morning before chores. The mountains were the mountains.

Mended the chute hinge Wednesday. Welder was finicky. Got it on the third try. Patrick used to do this. I do it now.

Truck started cold Tuesday. Twelve below. Battery is the original. I will replace it before next winter. I always say I will replace it before next winter. I never have.

Mr. Whelan from down the road came over Saturday with a story about a horse he sold in 1979. The story took an hour. I listened. He needed someone to tell it to.

Took a walk to the river before supper Tuesday. The cottonwoods were silver. The water was running. I did not think much. I just walked.

The wood pile is half what it was at Thanksgiving. I will split another cord on Saturday. The cord will be ready by next winter. The wood always is.

Worked on the truck Saturday afternoon. Plugs and wires. Two hours. Hands black with grease. Came in. Showered. Ate.

Storm came through Friday night. Thunder. The dog hid under the bed. The kids slept through it. The cattle bunched up by the windbreak. Standard.

The Tuesday Roundup AA meeting was eleven this week — three new guys from a referral. The room was full. The coffee was strong.

Drove to Billings for parts Friday. Stopped at the cemetery on the way home. Stood for ten minutes. Came home.

Listened to the cattle market report on AM radio while I worked the shop. Beef is up. Feed is up. The math is the math.

The barn cats are doing their job. Down to one mouse this week, in the feed shed. The cats brought it to the porch as proof. They are professionals.

A neighbor's heifer was choking on a corn cob. I drove over with my emergency kit. Cleared the cob with a length of garden hose. The heifer recovered. The neighbor brought a pie the next day.

Three days of horses this week. The work is meditative. The horses know. The owners pay. The cycle holds.

Hauled three bull calves to the auction yard Wednesday. Got a fair price. Came home. Counted the cash. Put it in the ranch account.

A reader emailed about the elk chili recipe. Asked what beer to use if non-alcoholic was not available. I wrote back: any beer is wrong if you don't drink. Use stock.

The Musselshell was clear Sunday. Could see trout in the deeper pools. Did not fish. Just watched.

Hank, the dog, herded the chickens by accident. He apologized in the way dogs apologize — eyes down, tail low. The chickens were unimpressed.

Wrote a blog post Friday night. The first one in two months. About making chili in a snowstorm. Short. Practical. Posted it. Forgot about it.

Drove the back fence line Saturday. Two posts down from elk. Replaced them in the morning. The fence held the rest of the week.

The cattle work this week was good work — physical and shared, the kind that earns a meal worth sitting down to. After hauling calves to auction, mending chute hinges, and counting what the week cost and what it returned, I wanted something that asked you to slow down at the table, not rush through it. Tenderloin fondue is that meal: the beef goes in the marinade the night before, the pot heats slow, and everyone takes their time. Patrick would have liked it that way.

Marinated Tenderloin Fondue

Prep Time: 20 min + 4 hrs marinating | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 4 hrs 40 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cups vegetable or beef broth (for the fondue pot)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Dipping sauces of choice: horseradish cream, mustard, or garlic aioli

Instructions

1. Marinate the beef. In a bowl or zip-top bag, combine soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, brown sugar, black pepper, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Add beef cubes, coat well, seal, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. Prepare the fondue pot. Pour broth into a fondue pot or heavy saucepan. Add butter. Bring to a gentle boil on the stovetop, then transfer to the fondue burner set to medium heat to maintain a steady simmer.
3. Set up the table. Remove beef from marinade and pat cubes dry with paper towels. Arrange on a platter alongside fondue forks, dipping sauces, and crusty bread if desired.
4. Cook at the table. Skewer individual beef cubes on fondue forks and submerge in the simmering broth. Cook 1 to 2 minutes for medium-rare, 2 to 3 minutes for medium. Adjust to preference.
5. Rest and dip. Remove cooked beef from the broth, allow to rest on your plate for 30 seconds, then dip in your chosen sauce and eat. Repeat as needed.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 4g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 680mg