# Filet Mignon - Skillet then oven?



## Mylegsbig

Hello, im trying to tell me my  brother how  to cook a good filet tonight but's been a while.  


Also he is using a stainless steel skillet and i have always used teflon


Does this make a difference?

He will be using those normal sized 2" Thick Filets you see in restaurants.

Here is what i told him

Turn on stainless steel skillet on EIGHT, you know the ones that go 1-10

Let the pan get hot.

Rub the filets in kosher salt, cracked pepper, and olive oil

Put the steaks in place on the skillet and sear each side for 1:30.

Transfer steaks to a 425 degree oven for 8-9 minutes.

The time is just winging it, im not sure exactly how long they should go

Any advice on how to do this? 

Times, temperatures, etc

  Indoor is only option,and would prefer using the skillet ---> oven method.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

I agree completely with the start of your instructions.  But I would cook 2 inch thick steaks for 3 minutes per side, period, and skip the oven.  Or, I would wrap the fillet's in bacon and secure with a toothpick, sear in the pan for 2 minutes per side, then place in a 450 degree oven until the probe meat thermometer inserted to the center, reads 125 degrees.  Remove, top with an avacado slice, or place on a cooked artichoke heart.  Or you could top with a broiled portabello mushroom cap.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## jennyema

Big -- time to get rid of that nonstick skillet!    SS and cast iron, baby!

Does bro have a cast iron skillet?  If so, that's the one to use.

But otherwise, I'd up the oven temp to 450 or 500.  That's important.

Make sure you salt the steak a few minutes before you cook it.  I might skip the oil, too, as it could burn in the hot skillet.

Others can tell you more about time, 'cause that's important.  I might go only 5 min in oven.


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## Gretchen

What Jenny said about the non-stick. Keep it for eggs but not for high heat searing. He's right on with the SS and I would do it all on top of the stove. Don't forget to let it rest before cutting into it.


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## Haggis

> Make sure you salt the steak a few minutes before you cook it


 
I disagree, I feel that you only season it right before it goes into the pan lest it draw out too much of the meats juices.


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## Mylegsbig

Bro only has stainless steel. and jenny i agree i am in the market for a new skillet right now.  how much should i expect to spend on a good 12 inch stainless steel skillet?


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## Mylegsbig

Okay revised instructions, goodweed, i dont know if bro has meat thermometer

Sear on each side for 2 minutes on MEDIUM HIGH - HIGH, then throw in 450 Degree Oven for 5 minutes?

Also, mixed reviews on olive oil.  Do i leave it in or take it out?


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## jbib

I've made the Individual Beef Wellingtons at melindalee.com in the recipe archives.Probably  no time for you to do all that for tonight but the cooking info is the same.
Am making this tomorrow night as my husband has a meeting tonight but asked for it as his Valentine treat.


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## Big_Del

Filet...<drool>

Stainless is the way to go with this.  Put some butter and some oil in the cold pan and turn up the heat.  Let's backtrack here (hope you aren't cooking while reading...).  Take the steaks out at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.  Coarsely crack a lot of black pepper (2-3 T depending on the # of steaks).  You're going to want to coat the ends well with the peppercorns.  Salt the meat and coat the ends with the peppercorns.  Now, gentlemen, start your stovetops!

The oil/butter combo will raise the smoke point (you'll probably want to remove the battery in your smoke detector if your range hood is as poor as mine).  Once you start seeing whisps of smoke, it's time to put the steaks in the pan.  For a two inch steak, I'd probably go 3½-4 minutes per side for medium-rare (I truthfully would use 1-1½" steaks instead of 2; the wife gets the 1" and I'll get the 1½" so cooking time is the same and hers gets more towards medium-well).  

When you are done, cut the flame (if you are using gas), remove the steaks and cover with foil to rest.  Pour all the accumulated fat out (don't you dare scrape the pan out!).  Return pan to rangetop, make sure your fire extinguisher is nearby, pour a shot of cognac into the pan and light it with a stick lighter (this is where my detector went berserk!).  Toss the contents of the pan until the flame dies and turn the fire back on.  Slowly pour in 2 cups of heavy cream, whisking the entire time.  Keep whisking until all the delicious little bits are off the bottom of the pan (you've just deglazed the pan, btw!).  Hit it with a teaspoon of cognac and taste the sauce.  Adjust however necessary.

Now, either return the steaks to the pan and spoon the sauce over to coat or place the steaks on each individual dish and spoon the sauce over.

This is steak au poivre.  As Alton Brown would say, "heavy on the poivre."  Not for the weak of tongue as all that pepper provides plenty of punch.  You can also prepare this with bottom round with great results, though not the incredible creaminess of filet.

Chris

p.s.  I'd keep the cast iron for less delicate meats.  Sear both sides and finish in the oven.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Luv my cast iron.  I don't know why anyone would prefer SS over good cast iron for searing any kind of steak.  I merely requires proper seasoning before use.  And, olive oil has a low smoke point, not the best oil for searing.  If you are going to brush oil on the meat, use sunflower oil.  It is inexpensive, absolutely neutral in flavor, has a high smoke point, and is the healthiest of the poly-unsaturates, better than Canola, and none of the nutty flavor that comes from peanut oil.

Also, there is no absolute best way to cook the fillet.  You have to decide the flavor you want.  Personally, I detest the flavor of every alcoholic beverage I've ever tasted.  But that's me.  I love cracked black pepper on rare, red meat, and a bit of salt.  Savory flavors enhance the meats natural flavor, which if you analyze it on your tongue, is sweet, iron, and salt.  A1 sauce compliments the beef flavor primarily with pepper and tamarind, while Worcestershire tastes of peppers, tamarind, and a complex mix of other flavors.  Mushrooms have a natural flavor enhancer similar to MSG but unrealted in chemical structure, and adds wonderful flavor to beef.

The fillet is the most tender of the beef steaks.  But it has a gentle flavor, hence the wrapping of bacon.  The rib eye, bone in, has the best ballance of beef flavor to tenderness.  If you can get a bone-in ribeye, you may never purchase a fillet again.  Of course the meat must be well marbled (very small veins of fat running extensively through the meat) and corn fed to produce the best flavor.  If there is a local butcher in your area, it is well worth the time and effort to find out who he/she is.  And if there is any locally grown beef, you can probably get USDA prime grade for a much better price than if you were to purchase it from a grocery store, if any even carry prime (a rare thing indeed).  I bought a quarter cow for 1.75 per pound.  The meat lasted me for 6 months (had a lot of company wanting our steak that year).  The meat was uninspected by the USDA as we have no inspectors available around here.  But I found out from the beef growers that it was corn finished, and balck angus beef.  It had outstanding flavor, unmatched in the supermarkets, and was very tender.  I will be making that purchase again, but next time, I'll get half a cow.  Got to save my pennys.  It cost me about $350.00 for the quarter.

Got to say, get yourself a good bone-in rib eye.  It is less expensive than the fillet mignon, and has a much better flavor.  The world famous Delmonico Steak is a bone-in rib eye.

Don't need anything extra with that steak except a bit of salt and pepper.  In fact, it is almost a shame to do anything else with it.  It's that good.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Chef_Jimmy

Cast iron is the BEST. if you don't have one of your parents or one thats been in the family for ages, you can buy them just about anywhere. It is very important that it be seasoned properly. Here is a link to show you how to properly season and care for cast iron. http://www.cookingspot.com/content/castironcare.aspx


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## GB

Chef_Jimmy, check your private messages. Thanks.


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## jennyema

Haggis said:
			
		

> I disagree, I feel that you only season it right before it goes into the pan lest it draw out too much of the meats juices.


 

Salt needs to dissolve on the surface of the meat. Salting it *a few minutes* before you cook it (like 1 or 2 or 3) doesn't draw out much moisture, if at all, so food scientists (eg, Wolke) say. As does experience.  Put salt on your steak.  Wait 2 minutes and measure the liquid on the surface of the meat.

Don't salt an hour ahead of time or anything like that.


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## GHPoe

*Pepper Steak Recipe?*

This reminds me of a steak I had a the Dal Ray in Pico Rivera, CA.  They have this pepper steak, which is just a steak, but they throw on bacon and green onions on top of it.  I have tried duplicating it but have always failed. 

Here's what I am trying so far.

Slice a few bacon strips into small 1/2" squares.
Fry it up, drain grease.
Next I will chop up some green onions and saute it with the bacon in butter.

After the steaks are done, I'll put about 3/4" cup of the contents on each steak.

Anyone ever had this at a restaurant?  Even better the Dal Ray?  Can you provide your attempts or suggestions at making this?


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