FOOD The PERFECT Filet Mignon - Cast Iron Pan Seared and Baked

[Buick Electra]

I tried this a few nights ago, then posted it on the Q thread whereupon a couple of others tried it, much to their delight, so I thought I'd share it with the board.

In the recipe the chef says to bring your filets to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking. I throw mine out on a cutting board at 8 a.m. even though they won't be cooked till 5 p.m.

Be sure your butter is softened and made into herb butter BEFORE you cook your steak. And that herb butter is DA BOMB! (Luckily, over the summer, I picked up packages of fresh Rosemary and Tarragon and what I didn't use I just zip-lock bagged and stuck in the freezer for recipes like this).

I have a lot of beef in my freezer and with the frigid weather coming in, I really wasn't looking forward to cooking it on my grill with the garage door open because you still have those frigid temps hitting you.

The recipe is based on 10 oz filets. I only had (1) 8 oz filet and it still turned out beautifully. Recipe says to sear the filet for 2 minutes on top and bottom, (but I did roll it around on on each SIDE to sear for 30 seconds per each side).

Just as an FYI, my whole filet would have been medium rare IF I'd taken the filet out of the cast iron pan and set on the plate immediately after taking out of oven, but I forgot to do that initially and let it continue to sizzle in the pan on the counter, until I re-read the recipe 2 minutes later and got it out of that hot, cast iron pan. (That's why you'll see in the pic how the top is not as pink as the rest of the steak).

To paraphrase Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With The Wind, "As God is my witness, (with the exception of my marinated flank steak), I will NEVER grill again!"

Here's the recipe...

Pan-Seared Filet Mignon Recipe

How to cook filet mignon on the stove and oven using butter, high heat, and a cast-iron skillet. Never grill streak again.

kitchenswagger.com

Here's how my filet turned out....

 

[duchess47]

Thank you for posting this. I read it in Q thread and wanted to try it but decided I didn’t have the patience to look for it.

 

[Cacheman]

Almost identical to the way we cook steak with one difference, we use hardly any oils here and would never use Canola at all. Our steaks are seared in Bacon grease.

 

[straightstreet]

I cook our prime rib this way and it's always delicious and so tender. Remove steaks from fridge 30 minutes before cooking. I pan sear each side in butter with Montreal steak seasoning on each side and bake for 3 minutes in a 400° oven. Let set for 5 minutes before digging in

 

[PrairieMoon]

Yum!!!!

 

[1-12020]

Thanks thread bookmarked.

 

[Elza]

Everything is better cooked in cast iron. At least IMHO.

 

[JMG91]

I honestly don't know how my husband has put up with my dried out, awful steaks up to this point, but this recipe is indeed DA BOMB! For once, not only do my steaks NOT suck, they are amazing! Thank you, BE!

 

[SlipperySlope]

Just to be safe, I wouldn't leave any meat unrefrigerated for too long, especially if you eat it medium. I don't trust our food system to have handled it properly every step of the way.

 

[Buick Electra]

I honestly don't know how my husband has put up with my dried out, awful steaks up to this point, but this recipe is indeed DA BOMB! For once, not only do my steaks NOT suck, they are amazing! Thank you, BE!

You're too kind. I just found the recipe and shared. All kudos go to that chef who perfected and wrote the recipe!

 

[dawgofwar10]

Okay, I said I was going to post this yesterday but with everyting going with my wife I had to settle for today. Ms. B.E. is spot on with many things regarding this and I will just fine tune it for the Newbies.
1. Steak which should be a Rib Eye price wise, Filet Mignon would be the number one perfect choice for those that can afford it.
2. Make sure you get a boneless 2" Steak Minimum cut, the thicker the better, the reason boneless is when you are searing the steak you get crust all the way way across.
3. When taking the steak out of the refirgerator to sit before cooking, let it sit for a minute then sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and let it sit for 2 hours or till it gets room temp. *** If you are on a Salt free diet Ignore the salt, just let it sit for the required time***
4. About one hour before cooking place a cast iron pan (this is cooking it with a Weber Triple Burner Grill, make adjustments as you see fit) with all three burners on high after about an hour the pan should be close to white hot.
5. After having the salt draw out the things that makes a steak not so tender, and you will see after two hours, rinse the steak of well and dry with multiple paper towels.
6. Do not apply any seasoning on your steak yet, we will get to that shortly. Spray one side lighly only with Pam Butter spray and toss on the white hot cast iron skillet. Cook each side one and one half minute for a 2 " inch steak, longer for a thicker steak ( I forgot to add this whole precedure is with the top down) after searing both sides pull the steak out of the skillet and set on a plate.
7. Turn all the settings down to low on your grill with the lid open to let it cool down, after 5 minutes put the steak on the grate on your grill and me I like seasoning it with Montreal Seasoning and let it cook for 4 minutes with the lid down, on one side and 3 minutes on the other, at that time check the internal temp, when it is just above rare 125 degrees pull it out and put it back on the plate.
8. Let sit for a few minutes apply B.E. butter recipe on steak let melt for 3 more minutes and Enjoy a Ruth Chris Experience...

 

[dawgofwar10]

Forgot to add, after sitting, the steak will be the melt in your mouth medium rare!!!

 

[Buick Electra]

Okay, I said I was going to post this yesterday but with everyting going with my wife I had to settle for today. Ms. B.E. is spot on with many things regarding this and I will just fine tune it for the Newbies.
1. Steak which should be a Rib Eye price wise, Filet Mignon would be the number one perfect choice for those that can afford it.
2. Make sure you get a boneless 2" Steak Minimum cut, the thicker the better, the reason boneless is when you are searing the steak you get crust all the way way across.
3. When taking the steak out of the refirgerator to sit before cooking, let it sit for a minute then sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and let it sit for 2 hours or till it gets room temp. *** If you are on a Salt free diet Ignore the salt, just let it sit for the required time***
4. About one hour before cooking place a cast iron pan (this is cooking it with a Weber Triple Burner Grill, make adjustments as you see fit) with all three burners on high after about an hour the pan should be close to white hot.
5. After having the salt draw out the things that makes a steak not so tender, and you will see after two hours, rinse the steak of well and dry with multiple paper towels.
6. Do not apply any seasoning on your steak yet, we will get to that shortly. Spray one side lighly only with Pam Butter spray and toss on the white hot cast iron skillet. Cook each side one and one half minute for a 2 " inch steak, longer for a thicker steak ( I forgot to add this whole precedure is with the top down) after searing both sides pull the steak out of the skillet and set on a plate.
7. Turn all the settings down to low on your grill with the lid open to let it cool down, after 5 minutes put the steak on the grate on your grill and me I like seasoning it with Montreal Seasoning and let it cook for 4 minutes with the lid down, on one side and 3 minutes on the other, at that time check the internal temp, when it is just above rare 125 degrees pull it out and put it back on the plate.
8. Let sit for a few minutes apply B.E. butter recipe on steak let melt for 3 more minutes and Enjoy a Ruth Chris Experience...

Gosh! I want another one right now! Thank you @dawgofwar10 !

I could do yours right now because it's 3 degrees out. Though I WOULD freeze my tush off, I wouldn't sizzle.

Our summers here in Central Illinois have been getting hotter and hotter each year with 90%+ humidity!! I grilled only a couple of times this past summer because I couldn't stand cooking over a flaming hot grill in temps of 101 at 5 p.m., so I just ceased grilling during the summer which is why I have all this meat now. Regardless, I will take my little cast iron pan out to my Weber, single grill this spring and while the weather is cooler, and report back to you on how it turns out. Thanks so much!

 

[dawgofwar10]

What I really want is to get a Ninja Woodfire 7-1 Grill, It gets up 750 Degrees, talk about searing a steak!!!!

 

[ComCamGuy]

Or,
sous vide
season steak, put in vacuum seal bag
throw in Sous Vide set on 125 for an hour or two, then pull, let it sit, still in the bag for 10-15 minutes.

remove from the bag, dry it off, and throw it in a screaming hot cast iron, one minute each side.
perfect medium rare edge to edge

big advantage is you can do up several and freeze them afterwards still in the bag. They thaw and sear great

 

[dawgofwar10]

They say that is the way to go, but for redneck country folk we prefer the old way. Not to say when I can afford the Sous side I would not try it, I still remember my first french kiss...

 

[JMG91]

Or,
sous vide
season steak, put in vacuum seal bag
throw in Sous Vide set on 125 for an hour or two, then pull, let it sit, still in the bag for 10-15 minutes.

remove from the bag, dry it off, and throw it in a screaming hot cast iron, one minute each side.
perfect medium rare edge to edge

big advantage is you can do up several and freeze them afterwards still in the bag. They thaw and sear great

Hubby and I just watched a primitive camping video last night where the guy used this method. Pretty cool.

 

[JMG91]

Okay, I said I was going to post this yesterday but with everyting going with my wife I had to settle for today. Ms. B.E. is spot on with many things regarding this and I will just fine tune it for the Newbies.
1. Steak which should be a Rib Eye price wise, Filet Mignon would be the number one perfect choice for those that can afford it.
2. Make sure you get a boneless 2" Steak Minimum cut, the thicker the better, the reason boneless is when you are searing the steak you get crust all the way way across.
3. When taking the steak out of the refirgerator to sit before cooking, let it sit for a minute then sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and let it sit for 2 hours or till it gets room temp. *** If you are on a Salt free diet Ignore the salt, just let it sit for the required time***
4. About one hour before cooking place a cast iron pan (this is cooking it with a Weber Triple Burner Grill, make adjustments as you see fit) with all three burners on high after about an hour the pan should be close to white hot.
5. After having the salt draw out the things that makes a steak not so tender, and you will see after two hours, rinse the steak of well and dry with multiple paper towels.
6. Do not apply any seasoning on your steak yet, we will get to that shortly. Spray one side lighly only with Pam Butter spray and toss on the white hot cast iron skillet. Cook each side one and one half minute for a 2 " inch steak, longer for a thicker steak ( I forgot to add this whole precedure is with the top down) after searing both sides pull the steak out of the skillet and set on a plate.
7. Turn all the settings down to low on your grill with the lid open to let it cool down, after 5 minutes put the steak on the grate on your grill and me I like seasoning it with Montreal Seasoning and let it cook for 4 minutes with the lid down, on one side and 3 minutes on the other, at that time check the internal temp, when it is just above rare 125 degrees pull it out and put it back on the plate.
8. Let sit for a few minutes apply B.E. butter recipe on steak let melt for 3 more minutes and Enjoy a Ruth Chris Experience...

Someone left similar instructions in the Q thread as well--perhaps it was you--and I followed them before following the instructions on the site. Perfect. I used garlic salt though; it was a complete accident that I ended up buying that last year, but it's just perfect for steaks.

 

[Elza]

Another way to tenderize a steak is to soak it in beer for a few hours. Season to taste. You won't taste the beer after it cooks but it will be so tender you can cut it with a fork. I don't know what it is in the beet that tenderizes it so well but it certainly works.

 

[thompson]

All kudos go to that chef who perfected and wrote the recipe!

Alton Brown is the first person I heard of/saw recommending this method, many years ago. It's a winner, for sure.

 

[Cacheman]

On my steaks I like toppings (YMMV), when in season steaks get topped with sauteed Morel Mushrooms. The problem is that our Morels are in season about the same time Trout season opens. This used to create a quandry of which dish got the Morels, my niece clued me in on an old Apple Orchard near their farm (an hour fifteens minutes away)... I hit the "Morel Gold Mine". After Morels I can get Shiitake from two different growers and I have purchased the 'shrooms from one a couple of times. Buy a few of those fresh and you really can use a few 1/10 ounce Gold Eagle without expecting any change back. Most of the time I top with the standard 'shroom, onion, green pepper sauteed in our Garlic Butter which also gets dollaped on our steaks. A bit different than the Herb Butter in the OP, just want to share it...

Garlic Butter

1 stick Butter
2 teaspoons Garlic (my wife is a garlic freak and would double or triple this, just don't do it Use your best judgement)
11/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/4-1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper (your choice, I go heavy on pepper,YMMV)
Just a tiny pinch of Paparika, and smoked is better

 

[dawgofwar10]

The best part for me is the sear/crust on the outside, Ruth Chris Style…

 

[AlfaMan]

Ok, I ate dinner an hour ago. But after reading this thread I'm now craving a good filet. With horseradish sauce on the side.......

 

[savurselvs]

I tried this a few nights ago, then posted it on the Q thread whereupon a couple of others tried it, much to their delight, so I thought I'd share it with the board.

In the recipe the chef says to bring your filets to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking. I throw mine out on a cutting board at 8 a.m. even though they won't be cooked till 5 p.m.

Be sure your butter is softened and made into herb butter BEFORE you cook your steak. And that herb butter is DA BOMB! (Luckily, over the summer, I picked up packages of fresh Rosemary and Tarragon and what I didn't use I just zip-lock bagged and stuck in the freezer for recipes like this).

I have a lot of beef in my freezer and with the frigid weather coming in, I really wasn't looking forward to cooking it on my grill with the garage door open because you still have those frigid temps hitting you.

The recipe is based on 10 oz filets. I only had (1) 8 oz filet and it still turned out beautifully. Recipe says to sear the filet for 2 minutes on top and bottom, (but I did roll it around on on each SIDE to sear for 30 seconds per each side).

Just as an FYI, my whole filet would have been medium rare IF I'd taken the filet out of the cast iron pan and set on the plate immediately after taking out of oven, but I forgot to do that initially and let it continue to sizzle in the pan on the counter, until I re-read the recipe 2 minutes later and got it out of that hot, cast iron pan. (That's why you'll see in the pic how the top is not as pink as the rest of the steak).

To paraphrase Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With The Wind, "As God is my witness, (with the exception of my marinated flank steak), I will NEVER grill again!"

Here's the recipe...

Pan-Seared Filet Mignon Recipe

How to cook filet mignon on the stove and oven using butter, high heat, and a cast-iron skillet. Never grill streak again.

kitchenswagger.com

Here's how my filet turned out....


View attachment 455974 View attachment 455975

View attachment 455976

We’ve done Cast iron and back strap this way for many years.
Between the lease, corn, fuel, clothing,
The beef would have been cheaper!
But not as fun!

Yummmmm

 

[Millwright]

Too cold, too lazy or out of charcoal/LP....I'll throw a little chunk-o-cow in some cast iron.

Never had anybody bitch about the results.

 

[colonel holman]

Sous vide is the bees knees way to cook… steak, chix, salmon!
Very interesting way to cook; simply set what you want for an internal temperature for perfect level of “done”
Cooks in its own juices (plus whatever you add to the vacuum bag). Steaks look weird when done with the water bath, and need to be quick-grilled on cast iron just to give it the desired surface crust finish. Truly amazing

 

[ComCamGuy]

Sous vide is the bees knees way to cook… steak, chix, salmon!
Very interesting way to cook; simply set what you want for an internal temperature for perfect level of “done”
Cooks in its own juices (plus whatever you add to the vacuum bag). Steaks look weird when done with the water bath, and need to be quick-grilled on cast iron just to give it the desired surface crust finish. Truly amazing

steaks are great, and the Prime Rib I did for Christmas was perfect. you can even set up complete meals ready to go, frozen and treat it like the old 'boil in a bag' but this time it's set for the exact end temperature you want it to end up.

and as a multi-tasker, it speed thaws frozen food wonderfully, and is great for controlled rewarming of frostbite limbs

 

[Chicory]

I tried this a few nights ago, then posted it on the Q thread whereupon a couple of others tried it, much to their delight, so I thought I'd share it with the board.

In the recipe the chef says to bring your filets to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking. I throw mine out on a cutting board at 8 a.m. even though they won't be cooked till 5 p.m.

Be sure your butter is softened and made into herb butter BEFORE you cook your steak. And that herb butter is DA BOMB! (Luckily, over the summer, I picked up packages of fresh Rosemary and Tarragon and what I didn't use I just zip-lock bagged and stuck in the freezer for recipes like this).

I have a lot of beef in my freezer and with the frigid weather coming in, I really wasn't looking forward to cooking it on my grill with the garage door open because you still have those frigid temps hitting you.

The recipe is based on 10 oz filets. I only had (1) 8 oz filet and it still turned out beautifully. Recipe says to sear the filet for 2 minutes on top and bottom, (but I did roll it around on on each SIDE to sear for 30 seconds per each side).

Just as an FYI, my whole filet would have been medium rare IF I'd taken the filet out of the cast iron pan and set on the plate immediately after taking out of oven, but I forgot to do that initially and let it continue to sizzle in the pan on the counter, until I re-read the recipe 2 minutes later and got it out of that hot, cast iron pan. (That's why you'll see in the pic how the top is not as pink as the rest of the steak).

To paraphrase Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With The Wind, "As God is my witness, (with the exception of my marinated flank steak), I will NEVER grill again!"

Here's the recipe...

Pan-Seared Filet Mignon Recipe

How to cook filet mignon on the stove and oven using butter, high heat, and a cast-iron skillet. Never grill streak again.

kitchenswagger.com

Here's how my filet turned out....


View attachment 455974 View attachment 455975

View attachment 455976

I have those dishes!

 

[Griz3752]

I'm feeling experimental.

Looked in Freezer and found some 6 oz Tuna steaks - I see some cook stove-babysitting tonight.

BTW - for a guy raised to believe quality meat was prepared over briquets or charcoal, this is a quantum leap. Not sure what the wife will think but she's on some ZOOM thing for work this afternoon so, we'll find out later.

 

[nomifyle]

I bought a couple of steaks for Dh and I'm going to try this method. The steak if fairly thin, but I think it will work this way. I use to sear meat all the time.

 

[nomifyle]

Sad to say with anything new that I try for DH, he doesn't like it. It is a different cut of steak, so that probably has a lot to do with it. He can cook the other steak I bought for him and I won't be buying anymore. Even if I bought a really good cut he'd still want it breaded and fried.

 

[dvo]

I’m inspired. Just need to find some 3” filets down here. The grocery here is somewhat pedestrian in terms of meat. There must be a few custom butcher shops in a 20 mile radius. I’ll find one…. Had a great one in Ohio. Need to move on.

 

[Terrwyn]

I just slice mine, fry in butter, make a sandwitch with pickled onions, horseradish cheddar, and grilled la brea bread. Like Paneras.

 

[gillmanNSF]

I learned this technique from watching Gordon Ramsey. If you don't have herb butter, you can throw a few sprigs of thyme or rosemary same time you add the butter to the pan, after you turn the steaks. Tilt the pan and spoon the herb-infused brown butter over the steaks. If the steaks are thicker than an inch, which for me usually are, then I finish the steaks in the oven. Gordon pokes the steaks with his fingers to test for doneness. I haven't developed this skill yet; I still use a temp probe and cook to 125 degrees then remove them and cover loosely with foil for 10 minutes, while I roast some sliced mushrooms in the steak pan and make a sauce with red wine, veal demi-glace (or beef broth) and finish the sauce with some butter. It's what was for dinner last Saturday!

 

[Johnny Twoguns]

Or,
sous vide
season steak, put in vacuum seal bag
throw in Sous Vide set on 125 for an hour or two, then pull, let it sit, still in the bag for 10-15 minutes.

remove from the bag, dry it off, and throw it in a screaming hot cast iron, one minute each side.
perfect medium rare edge to edge

big advantage is you can do up several and freeze them afterwards still in the bag. They thaw and sear great

Sou Vide, or Anova (which is what I have) makes things perfect inside the meat (and other things). Best turkey I've had was Sou Vide rolled turkey breast. Left overs still super tender and not dry many days after ThanksGiving. YOU get to decide how cooked the inside is to a degree of temperature. Cooking meat in water sounded crazy when I first heard of it.

 

[ComCamGuy]

Sou Vide, or Anova (which is what I have) makes things perfect inside the meat (and other things). Best turkey I've had was Sou Vide rolled turkey breast. Left overs still super tender and not dry many days after ThanksGiving. YOU get to decide how cooked the inside is to a degree of temperature. Cooking meat in water sounded crazy when I first heard of it.

Same brand I have

 

[sy32478]

Love doing cast iron. I sometimes use my Dutch oven to reduce spatter on my stove top.

Definitely not a good choice for thin cuts. I like thick steaks so I can sear yhem for 4 minutes per side and still have the center come out rare. To get a good crust, you should not move the meat once its in the pan until it moves freely without sticking.

* I do the same as GillmanNSF and grab whatever herbs need picking. Low moisture ones like rosemary and thyme atr great. After the pan is hot, i drizzle olive oil in the pan, slap thr meat in then add herbs. I only add butter and/or mushrooms at the end so that they don"t scorch.