Recipes:Bourbon-glazed beef

Spark off a barbecue revolution with this red-hot recipe. Rain? Who cares.

1 piece of beef fillet , about 1kg

BOURBON GLAZE

a large pinch chilli flakes
4 garlic cloves , crushed
125ml tomato ketchup
2 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
1 tsp English mustard powder or paste
4 tbsp bourbon or whiskey
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauc

Put the glaze ingredients in a bowl and mix them together. Put the beef in a ceramic dish, season well and pour the glaze over, turning the beef so it is completely covered. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 24. Heat the barbecue. Shake some of the glaze off the beef and cook it for about 7 minutes on each side for rare, and a few minutes longer for medium. Take it off the barbecue and leave it to rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the discarded glaze in a saucepan until it boils and cook for a couple of minutes. Taste and season. Add a little more bourbon if you like. Glaze the beef again and then carve it into thick slices. Serve with some green leaves dressed with vinaigrette.

If it rains...

Sear the beef fillet all over in a hot pan for about 10 minutes in total, then cook in an oven heated to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 for 10 minutes for rare, 15 for medium rare. Leave to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.