"I made tweaks to fit into my budget and what the grocer had to offer. I used 3 lbs pre-cubed chuck roast, 2 - 24 oz cans of petite diced tomatoes, 2 - 14 oz cans of kidney beans, two med. onions, and 3 small green bell peppers. I generally followed the measurements for the spices, but didn't take the time to level off any scoops. Heat is relative to the eater; I felt this recipe could have been spicier and will adjust my pepper next time, but do think it’d be too spicy for people who don't eat spicy food regularly even if they say they like spicy food. Canned vs fresh tomatoes do make a diff in whether you'll think this chili is good after 2 hrs - it'll take longer for the fresh to cook down and meld with the other ingredients. It's soupy and stew-like using cubed beef when the batch is fresh; it's cooked down over the days I've re-heated it, but I'll definitely either cut down on the canned tomato liquid or use ground beef for more volume the next time I make this recipe."

"I ended up buying a whole tenderloin and dividing it into 6 1-inch pieces. I used dried thyme instead of fresh and skipped the balsamic reduction as the butter/garlic/thyme added enough flavor to the meat.

I followed the listed times for searing and roasting in the oven; the meat turned out moist and juicy, though the first time I made it I roasted it for the full 4-5 min and it was med/med-well. I made the recipe a second night and roasted for 3 min instead and the meat came out med-rare.

This recipe was so delicious even my 3 yr old sister ate it up! I will definitely be making this again. Thanks Brian Boitano for making high end recipes easy for novice cooks!

"This was a great tasting recipe. Although the oyster sauce isn't the thick sauce you see at Chinese restaurants and buffets, the flavor is much better. I like spicy food and ended up adding more chili sauce than the recipe required. I goofed on the amount of chicken broth (put in 1/2 c instead of 1 c but the recipe still ended up fine. This was probably due to my mussels being smaller than what I normally see used at restaurants. If you have large mussels, def. make sure to use the full cup or more of broth for steaming.

This was an easy recipe to make, especially for being a novice cook. Highly recommend!

"This was a great tasting recipe. Although the oyster sauce isn't the thick sauce you see at Chinese restaurants and buffets, the flavor is much better. I like spicy food and ended up adding more chili sauce than the recipe required. I goofed on the amount of chicken broth (put in 1/2 c instead of 1 c) but the recipe still ended up fine. This was probably due to my mussels being smaller than what I normally see used at restaurants. If you have large mussels, def. make sure to use the full cup or more of broth for steaming.

This was an easy recipe to make, especially for being a novice cook. Highly recommend!