Saturday night at the Hansen’s is steak night. Sometimes I make steak at home and other times we will have it at a steak house. I prefer to eat Rib Eye but would rather cook Filet Mignon. Filet is much more of a challenge and there is something so satisfying when I cook it perfectly perfect. Since Jim loves Filet Mignon I make that more than Rib Eye. Whether it be Rib Eye or Filet it better be good. First of all it is really expensive either buying it at the market or ordering it at a steak house. Secondly, it better be cooked right, and believe me when I tell you that it is not always cooked perfectly perfect at a steak house.
Just last week we went to a popular and very expensive steak house to celebrate Jim’s birthday. The menu at this particular steak house states that all the steaks are Prime and cooked on the grill at a searing high heat of 1700 degrees. Yes, 1700 degrees. So imagine my surprise when the steak appeared at our table with the ever popular grill marks that were so light I could barely see them and the steak looking gray and so very unappetizing. When I cut into the steak it was cooked very rare (I ordered medium-rare) and it had a “purple-raw, I hardly sat on the grill” look. $59 for an 8 ounce steak that had no accompaniments with it. It’s not the price that got to me but the way it was cooked. It almost looked as if it were steamed and grill marks added at the last minute to give the impression that it actually was cooked on a grill.
I will never understand why a steak at a steak house can’t be properly cooked. The person that cooked the steak most likely had no clue as to the proper cooking method for such a beautiful cut of meat. I ordered it medium-rare with the hopes of getting it medium rare, not raw. I am sure that the grill was not 1700 degrees; if it was cooked on the grill at such an extremely high heat it would have had a great crust on it and the interior of the steak would have been perfectly medium-rare.
Personally, I prefer to have my Filet Mignon seared in a cast iron pan. That’s how I learned to cook Filet and that, for me, is the best way. Searing it in a pan locks in the flavor and produces the best crust on the outside and the best temperature on the inside. Although I am against anything well done, you can cook a Filet my way, cook it well done and still have a moist delicious interior.
If I am going to cook my steak on the grill, it has to be a cut that has a good deal of fat within the steak. This is called marbling.
Rib Eye steaks are the perfect example of a steak that is well marbled. The grill fire has to be very hot so as to sear and get the crust I have been talking about. As most of you know by now I like to grill on a charcoal grill, not gas. The fire is hotter and the flavor is more intense. I use only hard wood charcoal and never lighter fluid. I seldom use smoking wood chips as a steak is not on the grill for all that long. A very important detail when grilling a steak is not to move it around. It needs full undisturbed contact with the grill to cook properly.
Here is my recipe for pan seared Filet Mignon.
Perfectly Perfect Pan Seared and Roasted Fillet Mignon
If you have the opportunity to marinate the steaks early in the day of cooking, or even the night before, the outcome will be outstanding. Here’s what to do: Either early in the day or the night before put the steaks in a dish with a little XVOO on the top and bottom of each steak, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, place a smashed garlic clove on each fillet and several sprigs of mixed herbs such as basil, tarragon, oregano, parsley or whatever herbs you like. Sprinkle a little more XVOO on top of the herbs. Cover and refrigerate. This gives the meat even more flavor and tenderness. When you are ready to cook, discard the herbs and garlic and dab some of the XVOO off of the steaks with a paper towel.
If you don’t have the time to marinate, don’t worry; the steaks will still be delicious.
Cooking the steaks just before your guests arrive will give you time out of the kitchen during cocktails. You can do this up to an hour before serving. The steaks hold perfectly sitting in the pan off the heat.
Serves 4
4 8 Ounce Fillet Mignons (Cut From the Center of a Tenderloin)
1 Tablespoon XVOO
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Coarse Sea Salt
Preheat Oven to 450°.
Remove filets from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to allow them to come to room temperature.
Over medium high heat, heat the XVOO and the butter in a cast iron pan or frying pan large enough to hold the steaks without crowding. (Crowding the pan will make the filets steam instead of sear.) Season the steaks with the coarse sea salt and black pepper and add to the hot pan. Sear the steaks for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until nicely browned and a crust forms. Put the pan into the preheated oven and roast for approximately 8 minutes or until an instant read meat thermometer inserted in the center of the steak registers 128° for rare. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
If you cook the steaks in advance: When ready to serve the steaks, return the pan to the oven for 3-4 minutes to heat the filets. (If you want the steaks cooked more, keep them in the oven, this time around, for several more minutes.) Use your thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat: 130° medium-rare, 135° medium, 145° well done.
To add another dimension to the steaks, sauté an assortment of wild mushrooms with a bit of sliced shallot. Use the same pan in which you cooked the steaks. Remove the steaks and add a tablespoon of butter. When the butter is hot and bubbly add the shallots and sauté briefly. Add the mushrooms. Don’t disturb them for about two minutes then sprinkled with salt and pepper and toss them around in the pan to finish cooking. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup Madeira or red wine. Reduce the wine and juices from the mushrooms just a bit. Take the pan off the heat and swirl in 2 tablespoons of cold butter that has been cut into eight pieces. Add the butter bit by bit until completely incorporated. Serve immediately with the seared steaks.
After writing this I don’t know if I can wait until Saturday night for steak. It may just have to be tonight!
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask. You can make a comment on this blog or email me at