Tanqueray'd Tenderloin

Rub garlic cloves over slices of beef. Put same garlic in a pan with heated butter for a few minutes, until garlic becomes fragrant. Do not burn. Discard garlic and set pan aside.

Put beef slices in a single layer in a flat dish. Pour half the gin over meat. Crush 24 juniper berries and sprinkle on meat. Strip thyme from branches and sprinkle on meat. Cover the dish and refrigerate three hours, truning two or three times.

Pat meat dry and wipe off herbs. Place heavy (pre-garlicked) pan over high heat. When pan is very hot, add butter and let it foam up. Arrange as many slices of meat as will fit comfortably in the pan and cook about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, until browned. Place on warm platter and repeat cooking with the rest of the meat. Add more butter if needed.

Turn heat to medium-low and add the rest of the juniper berries and gin. Cook 1 minute. Stir in cheese and cook until blended, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring all the time. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return meat to the pan, cover with sauce, heat through (1 to 2 minutes).

Serve with sauce spooned on top.