Filet Mignon (French for „tender fillet“ or „dainty fillet“) is a steak cut of beef taken from the smaller end of the tenderloin. In French this cut can also be called filet de boeuf, which translates in English to beef fillet. When found on a menu in France, Filet Mignon generally refers to pork rather than beef.
Filet Mignon of pork, needs to be cooked well, but juicy.
How to cook the perfect Filet Mignon.
There is no reason to be intimidated about cooking a Filet Mignon. While I have many friends and family that get nervous about steaks, they really are one of the easier things you can cook. To me, the perfect Filet Mignon has a salty/peppery, crispy outside, and tender, juicy, medium center. The juice might run out but no blood anymore.
Mouthwatering cooked Filet Mignon.
The perfect Filet has aromatic hints of rosemary, and the savory nuttiness of brown butter.
Below, and in this recipe, we’re going to talk about how to cook the perfect Filet Mignon.
Well go through the core cooking techniques that you need for just about any steak, but also talk about the specific things for Filet Mignon, that you need to know, for it to come out absolutely perfect.
One of the finest, Filet Mignon from Angus beef.
My one disclaimer regards doneness. I personally like my filet Mignon medium rare, but I understand that reasonable people can like it more or less done.
If your idea of the Perfect Filet is one that’s well done, go for it – although there is tiny place in my heart that really hopes you’ve at least tried medium or medium rare once.
Simple but delicious with deglased sauce.
About the Filet Mignon.
Filet Mignon is the tenderloin, a muscle that does very little work; thus it’s tenderness.
It is also quite lean, with very little fat, which is great health wise, but….
Most expensive part of beef or pork.
Consider a beef, so we see a wedge-shaped piece of meat with a thicker head and a converging end, the tenderloin tip. At the thick end, we still see a wattles. To get the nice round Filet Mignon only the narrow part of the beef fillets is without the tenderloin tip.
The wattles can be processed into very fine ground beef for burgers, very expensive. From the thick fillet-head to cut the so-called tournedos and medallions. The filet tips, for example, are suitable for pasta or salad.
With steak (and most other meat) fat means flavor, and juiciness.
Because Filet Mignon is so lean, there’s little fat to melt and lubricate the meat while cooking. Choose your desired doneness wisely – before you start cooking.
Buy good quality Filet Mignon, from a trusty butcher, if you can.
I like them thick cut – at least 2 (4,5 cm), preferably 3 inches (7 cm) thick.
And the fillet should be a single muscle, with a firm feel.
Some cuts from the end of the tenderloin are two muscles (with wattle) barely held together by thin connective tissue. You can use them if you plan to cook Filet Mignon wrapped in bacon (use a good one), otherwise pass on these.
Filet Mignon wrapped in bacon.
The thickness will heavily influence the time you cook the fillet to get your desired doneness. Don’t use temperature to control the donesss of the steak – using high heat for well done, and low heat for rare. Use high heat for it all !!!
Because the fillet cooks from the outside in, and you always use high heat, to get more done, you simple cook the steak longer so the heat penetrates deeper.
Don’t be afraid of the dark, almost burned, crust.
Cooking the fillet.
Philosophically, high heat = great meat. Cook the fillets at high temperature to get a great sear on the outside that is crunchy, tasty, and great looking. Control the doneness (from rare to well done) with the length of time in the oven – NOT the temperature.
Filet Mignon cooked RARE .
Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees.
Take the Filet Mignon out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to cook it, and season it liberally with grind salt and fresh grind pepper.
That time allows the meat to come to room temperature – which will help ensure you cook it to the right doneness.
Flilet Mignon cooked MEDIUM RARE .
Getting a good sear on the fillet is critical. Bring your heaviest saute pan (best cast iron skillet) up to temperature over very high heat, and add a few tablespoons of oil. I generally use olive oil, but only for convenience. Lay the Filet Mignon down in the pan, and let them sear on that side for 3 – 4 minutes depending on thickness. Don’t touch, don’t move, don’t fiddle. Just let it sear.
Filet Mignon cooked MEDIUM .
Turn the steak over, and allow it to sear for another 3 – 4 minutes. Near the end of those three to four minutes add a couple tablespoons of butter, and the herb of your choice. I love rosemary, thyme also is great. Best you make your own herb butter.
Baste the steaks with melted herb butter.
Filet Mignon cooked MEDIUM WELL .
If you like your steak very rare, you can probably take it off now. Use the feel technique.
For more well done fillets, slide the pan into the hot oven. Generally speaking, every few minutes will move the steak up a notch on the doneness scale from rare to medium to well. They really should never take more than another 7 – 8 minutes in the oven.
Filet Mignon cooked WELL DONE .
Don’t be afraid to stick a meat thermometer into your fillet. It’s a myth and old wives‘ tale that piercing your filet with a thermometer one time will cause all its juices to run out.
120° F (49 C) = Rare
130° F (54 C) = Medium rare
140° F (60 C) = Medium
150° F (66 C) = Medium well
160° F (71 C) = Well done
You can use so named „steak buttons“ , they mostly sell in sets of four, but they only show „rare – medium – well“. I prefer a meat thermometer with Fahrenheit and Celsius.
Please don’t cut into the fillet to tell doneness. First off it’s a bad way to tell, as the steak is still cooking and constantly getting more cooked.
Second, and more important, cutting into the filet while it cooks, will cause the juice to run out of the meat, horribly drying it out. It makes me cry when I see that.
Some garnish ideas. A Filet Mignon with a rosmary and mushroom sauce.
On the right you’ll see a „Filet Mignon au poivre“, means with a fine green pepper corn sauce.
Feel free to continue to baste the fillet with the butter once the meat comes out of the oven, but remember, pouring hot oil/butter on the fillet continues to cook it. Watch doneness.
Remove the steak and put it on a holding plate, and cover with foil for 5 minutes. That allows the Filet Mignon to rest, and the juices to settle, so they don’t run out when you cut into it at the table.
Left Filet Mignon with a „Black Truffle Demi Glace“, that’s indulgence.
On the right the classic „Surf and Turf“, Aussie – style, steak with lobster tail or big shrimps .
Tips.
The 5 minutes resting can give you the time to prepare a fine sauce, if you like. By example preparing a Steak Diane. Recipe in a follow up post, stay tuned.
Steak Diane, with a creamy and flambe deglase.
After five minutes, serve up that perfectly cooked Filet Mignon, and if you’re feeling really decadent, spoon a bit of the herb flavored brown butter right over the top. PLEASE don’t use ketchup, better try a delicious sauce, like the deglase of your pan and use the juices.
This is Filet Mignon in perfection.
Best to go with this culinary steak is green asparagus and baked potatoes. See my post „Potatoes – Three Ways“. And – don’t forget a bottle of your favorite red wine, I like a nice Shiraz or Tannat aside. I hope you look forward to such a mouthwatering meal. Enjoy !
