This recipe is so simple, it’s barely a recipe at all. I just don’t think filet mignon steaks need Bernaise sauce or red wine sauce, or even a scattering of sauteed mushrooms. If the steaks are good quality, and perfectly cooked, I don’t want them smothered or obscured by anything. Salt and pepper are all they need.
The rationale for even providing a recipe here is in the technique for searing then roasting these steaks. This combination of cooking methods ensures you’ll get a crackly charred crust while the center of the steak stays silky soft and juicy. A cast iron pan is the best tool for this, but if you don’t have one, a heavy, good-quality stainless pan will do.
How long you cook your steak, and to what degree of doneness, is up to you. There are standard temperatures for each stage, and my chart below is very close to the standard. I do think that most temperature charts are more conservative about the rare and medium rare stages than what you’ll find in a good steakhouse. Whenever I order a steak in a restaurant, I always ask my server, “How does your chef define ‘rare’?” Most of the time, the server will say that “rare” has a cool red center and “medium rare” has a warm red center. My preference is warm and red, so I usually ask for “medium rare” in restaurants, and at home I’ve learned this translates to a temperature of about 125 degrees, what most charts would call “rare”. But really, the label in the left column is less important than deciding what color you want in the center of your steak, and knowing what temperature range to aim for.
The most important part about measuring the temperature of your steak is to remember that the steak is going to sit for 10 minutes once you take it off the heat, and the temperature will continue to rise while the steak rests. Once I figured this out I finally stopped disappointing myself with overcooked steaks. Now I know I need to take my steak off the heat when it’s 10 degrees cooler than my final goal, or about 115 degrees.
Making this ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- To enjoy these steaks at their juicy best, don’t make them ahead. However, leftover steak is a great thing to have on hand for slicing over salads, in sandwiches, or on a platter of cold meats, cheeses and vegetables.
To see this recipe combined with others in a special dinner menu, read the post for Saturday February 15, 2020.
Filet Mignon
Ingredients
- Two 2-inch thick filet mignon steaks, 8 ounces each
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Neutral oil (I use organic, expeller-pressed canola oil)
Directions
- Step 1 At least 2½ hours before cooking (preferably earlier in the day or even the night before), season the steaks on all sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Use about 1 teaspoon of salt if using Diamond Crystal brand, ½ teaspoon of Morton’s. Chill the steaks uncovered if you’re seasoning them 2 hours ahead, or covered in plastic wrap if they’ll be chilling longer than a couple of hours.
- Step 2 Heat the oven to 400 degrees on the Roast setting if it has one. Meanwhile, heat a dry 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until the surface just starts to smoke.
- Step 3 Slather the steaks with a generous coating of oil on all sides and place them in the pan. Sear the steaks for 2 minutes on each side for a total of 8 minutes – this includes not just the two flat sides but the two edges as well.
- Step 4 Take a read on how much more time your steaks need by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the center of one of the steaks. If your steaks are thinner than 2 inches, they may be close to fully cooked.
- Step 5 Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the steaks until they’re 10 degrees cooler than your desired final temperature. For example, for medium rare steaks, I remove them from the oven when the internal temperature is 115 degrees. For 8-ounce, 2-inch thick steaks, this usually takes 5 to 6 minutes in the oven, after 8 minutes of searing. The timing will vary depending on how thick your steaks are and if your oven runs hot or cold, so let the thermometer be your guide.
- Step 6 Remove the steaks to a plate and tent them loosely with foil. Let them sit for 10 minutes before serving.
