The rich flavor and tender texture of filet mignon come with a stiff price tag. We like to think of it as “company” food. The last thing we want to do is improperly cook it, so we decided to find a fail-safe way to prepare this pricey steak. Here’s what we did.
Sear both sides of the filets in a heavy-bottomed skillet and then transfer the meat to a preheated baking pan in a very hot (450-degree) oven to finish cooking. The combination method delivers meat with a flavorful crust and juicy interior.
Wrap the circumference of each filet in bacon to ensure that the meat stays moist. The bacon adds a complementary smokiness to the meat. A classic parsley-garlic butter with a little lemon zest is a quick alternative to a time-consuming sauce.
Serves 4
This is great food, perfect for a Saturday night dinner party. The filets are seared on the stovetop and then cooked through on a preheated baking sheet in the oven, which gives you time to attend to side dishes.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter , at room temperature
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 medium clove garlic , minced
4 slices bacon
4 center-cut filets mignons , each about 1 1/2 inches thick
4 teaspoons olive oil
1. With fork, beat butter, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
2. Wrap 1 bacon slice around each filet, overlapping ends and securing ends to filet with toothpick. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in medium skillet over high heat until just smoking. Sprinkle filets with salt and pepper. Place 2 filets in skillet and cook, without moving, until browned and nice crust has formed, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn filets and cook on second side, 2 1/2 minutes longer. Hold filets on their sides and crisp bacon slightly all around. Set filets aside on plate. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in empty skillet and sear remaining 2 filets.
4. Transfer all 4 seared filets to preheated baking sheet in oven. Roast 4 to 6 minutes for rare, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare, or 8 to 10 minutes for medium. Transfer filets to large plate, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Spoon some parsley-lemon butter onto each filet. Serve.
