Filet mignon for dummies

February 14, 2009 3:11 PM

I have a 3+ pound filet mignon tenderloin butt. What do I do with it?

This meat was on sale and I hadn't expected to buy it. I would like to prepare it this evening. I don't have access to a grill, but I have a stocked kitchen. Thanks!

posted by kamikazegopher to food & drink (13 comments total)

If you slice it into thick filet mignons, they pan fry nicely.
posted by Good Brain at 3:23 PM on February 14

you can tie it up with butcher's twine and roast it with rosemary, scallions, mushrooms and then deglaze with sherry.
posted by Stewriffic at 3:26 PM on February 14

I don't have access to a grill, but I have a stocked kitchen.

You don't actually need a grill to make a great steak. If you have a cast iron skillet, get it extremely hot, sear the sides for a couple of minutes (turn once) and then put in an oven to do get the insides to your liking.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 3:30 PM on February 14

This is awesome.
posted by sanka at 3:46 PM on February 14

You could do what I usually do with pork filets. Get the pan hot, with a good dollop of olive oil, and sear the outside of the filet. Remove it from the pan, slice it into steaks, then cook as steaks in the pan.

As a marinade (I think beef filet needs it), try garlic, salt, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sweet paprika, pepper, and a bit of balsamic. After you sear and slice, sprinkle pepper and salt on the slices before cooking in the pan.

Also, before adding the steaks to the pan, chop up a bunch of shallots, and toss them in the pan. Cook until soft, or better yet, carmelized. Add steaks. Just before they're finished, add some cheap brandy (You can't go wrong with Christian Brothers, as long as you don't drink it) and let it cook down. The sugar will give the shallots a sweet crunchiness.

Remove the steaks and shallots to make a delicious and deeply unhealthy sauce/gravy, and serve the steaks with mashed potatoes (mashed with roasted garlic and cheddar cheese).
posted by Ghidorah at 4:18 PM on February 14 [3 favorites]

Ever since I discovered this beef stroganoff recipe, I've made it every time I see an expensive cut of meat on sale. Simple and amazingly delicious.
posted by tomatofruit at 4:44 PM on February 14 [5 favorites]

Seconding pan searing. It makes the crappy steak I can afford taste great!
posted by Benjy at 4:45 PM on February 14

At the risk of stating the obvious and sounding like Your Mom, pan searing, done right, is going to generate a LOT of smoke. So, uh, be prepared for that. And stand up straight. No one likes a slouch.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 5:25 PM on February 14 [1 favorite]

I broil my filet. That leaves it pink in the middle, which is how I like it.
posted by dithmer at 5:29 PM on February 14

Jaques Pepin and Julia Child's Chateaubriand
posted by longsleeves at 5:57 PM on February 14

Steak au poivre
posted by ijoshua at 6:09 PM on February 14

Ok, I guarantee, guarantee, guarantee that this recipe will slay . . .

You will have complete control over all who eat this.

Herb crusted roast tenderloin

*and* if you're trying to make a once-in-a lifetime impression for any reason, make potatoes Gratin Dauphinois as a side dish, and world domination will be yours.
posted by jeremias at 9:19 PM on February 14

I ended up cutting the meat into steaks and pan-searing them, then finishing them in the oven. There was a lot of smoke, but it was worth it. Served with these roasted garlic, chipotle and white cheddar mashed potatoes and steamed green beans. It was an utterly divine Valentine's Day treat! Thanks, everyone!
posted by kamikazegopher at 10:25 AM on February 15