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One of the most famous restaurant dishes is filet mignon — a delicious, lean, and soft steak. Cooks make it from a thin tenderloin part. The main feature of this steak is a unique combination of juiciness and taste richness.
You can serve this exquisite treat at a friendly party or a romantic dinner. However, the process of preparing a really good mignon steak is not so simple. You must learn all the cooking secrets to get such a delicacy at home.
history of creation
The history of filet mignon began in Paris. In French, it is “an elegant, small piece”. O. Henry first mentioned the name of the dish in his book “Four Million” in 1906. The author has written about the steak many times to emphasize the romantic atmosphere and once again to indicate the choiceness of the dish.
Nowadays filet mignon is the king among steaks and has an exquisite creamy taste. Previously, it was called a “ladies’ dish”. Young men ordered these small pieces of meat to their girlfriends on Valentine’s Day.
Tips for choosing meat
To prepare a high-quality filet mignon steak, you must choose high-quality and proper meat. Professional chefs advise you to follow the recommendations:
- Buy a fresh piece of beef or veal tenderloin. Beef tenderloin is located under the spine and is not subjected to stress. That is why this part is the softest and is great for cooking minion steak.
- The thin edge of the central part of the tenderloin is better to use for preparing small meat pieces — this is a first-class cut, usually its diameter is up to 8 cm.
- Buy meat only from verified sellers. Also pay attention to the absence of unpleasant odor and blood secretions.
How long do you cook a filet mignon on each side?
The time of filet mignon preparation depends on the desired roasting degree. First you need to fry the filets for 2 minutes on each side on the stove. Further, many cooks advise not to continue frying in a cast-iron pan, but to put the meat in the oven. Here you should start from the degree of roasting:
- Rare – roast for 4 minutes at 120°F
- Medium rare – roast for 6 minutes at 130°F
- Medium – roast for 7 minutes at 140°F
- Medium well – roast for 9 minutes at 150°F
- Well done – roast for 10 minutes at 160°F
What’s the best pan to cook steak in?
Before cooking a steak, you should choose a suitable frying pan. Here it is worth paying attention to the material, shape and thickness of the bottom.
A good steak pan fries the meat without allowing it to stew in its own juice and stick to the surface of the bottom. In the case of steaks, high temperature is important. Not every frying pan copes with the tasks.
Professional chefs advise you to buy a frying pan made of materials that heat up to high temperatures. These are cast iron and cast aluminum. They have a porous structure, excellent thermal conductivity and heat faster. A frying pan made of such materials allows beef and pork to fry quickly without losing internal juices.
 Can you sear steak in a nonstick pan?
You can fry filet mignon in a non-stick frying pan, but pay attention to some possible reasons for failure:
- Even a well-heated thin frying pan will immediately cool down after placing meat on it. To form a crust, a temperature above 120 degrees Fahrenheit is needed. And when cold meat comes into contact with metal, the pan will cool down and stewing will begin instead of frying.
- You should not overheat non-stick frying pans. In this case, the formation of a crust on the meat is simply impossible.
How to cook filet mignon in the cast iron
If you are not sure of your culinary skills and want to cook delicious filet mignon – just use a cast iron skillet. For this recipe, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- filet mignon – 4 pieces
- butter – 1 tablespoon
- olive oil – 1 tablespoon
- ground black pepper – 1 teaspoon
- cream – 150 ml
- cognac – 1 tablespoon
- salt and herbs – to taste
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Wash the meat and dry it with napkins, add salt on both sides.
- Carefully chop the black pepper or use a ready-made one. Sprinkle the filets on both sides.
- Melt the butter in a cast-iron frying pan. Add a little vegetable oil to it and put the meat on a well-heated surface.
- Fry the filets on both sides for 3-4 minutes. Next, transfer the meat to a plate and wrap with foil.
- Prepare the sauce in parallel. To do this, pour cream and brandy into the pan. Cook the resulting mixture for 2-3 minutes with constant stirring.
How to cook a perfect filet mignon on the grill
A great way to cook a juicy steak is to use a grill. For this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- filet mignon — 2 pieces (400-500 g)
- salt and pepper – to taste
- vegetable oil — to taste
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Choose a thick piece of meat. The thicker the piece, the easier not to overcook it.
- Decide when you will salt the steak – before or after frying. If you will salt before frying, then do it in 30-40 minutes.
- For frying it is necessary to use filet mignon at room temperature. So the meat is better to be softer.
- Brush the filet mignon with oil on both sides.
- Move the coals of the grill to one side and place the wire rack.
- Grill the filet mignon for 2-5 minutes on each side.
- Put the finished filet mignon on a plate and let it rest for 10 minutes.
How to broil filet mignon in oven
If you need a soft and juicy steak recipe, this one will be the best. With the help of lemon oil and an oven, your dish will turn out to be as delicious as in a restaurant. Prepare the necessary ingredients:
- beef tenderloin steak — 4 pieces
- kosher salt — 1/2 teaspoon
- ground black pepper — 1/2 teaspoon
- tarragon — 1 pinch
- lemon juice — 50 milliliters
- butter — 1 tablespoon
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Remove the meat from the refrigerator, no later than an hour before cooking, so that it becomes room temperature. Add salt and leave.
- Make lemon oil. Mix the butter, lemon juice and tarragon until smooth and set aside for 10 minutes, the butter should completely melt and absorb the aromas of spices and lemon juice.
- Fry the steaks in a frying pan. For medium roasting, fry for about 3 minutes on each side.
- Place the steaks in the oven preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 4-5 minutes.
- Remove the meat and leave it to rest on a wooden board or warm plate for 5 minutes before serving.
- Before serving, pour lemon oil on top and sprinkle with ground black pepper.Â
How long to cook filet mignon in the ovenÂ
There is more than one way to cook filet mignons from beef, but baking in the oven is the best way to cook filet properly. For this recipe, prepare the following ingredients:
- pieces of filet mignon (3 cm thick)
- bacon – 2 strips
- vegetable oil – 2 tablespoons
- champignons – 400 grams
- crushed garlic – 1 tablespoon
- red wine – 2 cups
- butter – 20 grams
- salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Sprinkle the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Wrap a strip of bacon around each filet mignon securing everything with a toothpick.
- Put a steel saucepan on medium or high heat.
- Melt the butter in a frying pan.
- After the pan becomes very hot, add the steaks to the pan and do not move them for 3 minutes.
- Turn the steaks over and continue to fry for three minutes.
- Place the pan in the oven and let the steaks cook for 4-6 minutes — with “blood” or 6-8 minutes for medium rare filet.
Filet mignon with vegetables recipe
If you want to cook an original and delicious dish for Valentine’s day or for a date night – the recipe of filet mignon with vegetables is perfect. мPrepare all the necessary ingredients:
- beef tenderloin – 1 piece
- of bacon slice – 6 pieces
- large onion – 1 piece
- sweet pepper – 1 piece
- large carrots – 1 piece
- sugar – 1 teaspoon
- balsamic vinegar – 100 ml
- salt and ground black pepper – to taste
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- From the central part of the tenderloin, cut 3 pieces 6 cm thick.
- Cut the onion into half rings, carrots and sweet peppers into thin strips.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a saucepan.
- Place the onion there and fry, stirring, over low heat for about 3-4 minutes.
- Add carrots, pepper, salt and sugar. Stir-fry until the vegetables are cooked, about 10 minutes.
- Wrap each piece of filet mignon with bacon. Tie it with a thread.
- Heat a frying pan greased with vegetable oil on the fire. Place the tenderloin there and fry for 3 minutes on one side.
- Turn over and fry for 3 minutes on the other side.
- Place the meat in a frying pan with vegetables, add salt and pepper.
- Transfer skillet into the preheated oven. Select the desired degree of roasting and cook the required amount of time.
Filet mignon with red wine and balsamic vinegar
If you have run out of dinner ideas, prepare filet mignon with balsamic vinegar and red wine. You will get perfect medium rare steak and will be able to please your loved ones. To make the recipe, follow step-by-step instruction:
- Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Preheat an iron skillet over high heat (without oil).
- Put the steaks in a hot iron skillet, fry on both sides (1 minute on each side) until brown.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, add a little balsamic vinegar and red wine to the pan.
- Close the lid and cook for 4 minutes on each side.
- Put the steaks on plates, pour the sauce from the pan and serve with any side dish.
Perfect filet mignon recipe
If you want to cook filet mignon steak in the best way – wrap it in bacon. For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- filet mignon – 4 pieces
- bacon – 4 strips
- coarse sea salt – 4 tablespoons
- freshly ground black pepper – 3 tablespoons
- dried onion flakes – 2 tablespoons
- butter – 450 grams
- oregano – 2 tablespoons
- lemon zest – to taste
- dried garlic – 1 teaspoon
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Mix all the ingredients for the oil in a bowl, then put on parchment paper or plastic wrap. Roll it up and put it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the grill to maximum temperature.
- Season the steaks on both sides with coarse sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and onion flakes.
- Wrap each piece of meat with bacon and tie it with a thread.
- Fry the steaks at high temperature for 4-6 minutes on each side with the lid closed.
Best filet mignon seasoningÂ
If you like experiments and plan to add a spicy note to filet mignon steak, in addition to the standard salt and pepper, you should consider the options: garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and chili pepper.
To achieve a creamy taste, you can use butter or olive oil. An important caveat is to add butter at the end of cooking, otherwise it will burn.
What to serve with
Filet mignon is better to serve with baked potatoes, mushrooms, or vegetable salads. This tender meat also goes well with various sauces. Professional chefs recommend white sauces, they add extra tenderness to the meat.
Cranberry or lingonberry sauce is also a good option. Pay special attention to the choice of drink to serve with filet mignon. It should be pomegranate juice or dry red wine. You don’t have to serve the steak with a side dish, you can just take the sauce and some greens.
The true star Marinade for filet mignon
Professional chefs advise marinating filet mignon before frying.
This will help to get a more tender and juicy steak. An option with the marinade preparation of oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and rosemary is suitable. You can also make a marinade of olive oil, salt, basil and half a teaspoon of vinegar. It will soften the meat fibers in a short time.
However, you can also simply choose filet mignon recipes with a longer cooking time. Then you will not need to prepare a special marinade for meat.
Storage rules
What to do with the remaining cooked filet mignon? Just learn how to properly store such meat. The easiest way is to store it in the refrigerator. So you can extend the shelf life of filet mignon steak up to 3-4 days.
It will be more difficult to freeze the prepared product. Cooks do not advise putting cooked filet mignon in the freezer. You just won’t be able to properly reheat the dish later and get the desired juiciness. Such meat will be dry and tough.
Cooking tips
Professional chefs have prepared a list of tips that will help you cook filet mignon quickly and efficiently:
- Choose pieces of meat 3-4 centimeters thick.
- An hour before cooking, remove the steak from the refrigerator. Its internal temperature should be equal to room temperature.
- The main ingredients of an ideal steak are garlic, herbs, and butter.
- To prepare filet mignon, use stainless steel or cast iron cookware.
- Try to avoid the method of preparing filet mignon sous vide. These include the hot oven method and stewing in oil.
Closing
Filet mignon steak is a bit like a strip steak, but it differs in the degree of softness and smaller size. This is a great option for dinner cuisine and a romantic evening.
To cook filet mignon correctly, choose tender meat of the desired thickness, marinate it and fry it in a cast-iron or aluminum frying pan. Don’t be afraid to experiment and surprise your friends and family with a meat delicacy from filet mignon!