Pan Seared Filet Mignon

Ingredients

4 thick tenderloin beef filets (10 oz. - about 2 inches thick)

2-3 Tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 415°F. Remove steak from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring the steak to room temperature and ensure your cooking times are more accurate. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.

 

Add the plain butter to an oven safe cast iron skillet and turn up high, allow the skillet to become scorching hot firs. Place the filets face down and sear undisturbed for 2 minutes (time it!). Flip the filets and sear for an additional 2 minutes. This will give your filets a nicely seared edge.

 

Transfer your skillet directly to the oven. [WARNING] the skillet may be hot, handle with oven mitts.

Rare: bake 4 minutes (120° - 125°)

Medium Rare: bake 5-6 minutes (125° - 130°)

Medium: bake 6-7 minutes (135° - 140°)

Medium Well: bake 8-9 minutes (145° - 150°)

 

(Remember, depending on the size of the steak, the more or less time it will take. This recipe is ideal for 8-10 oz. portions, roughly 2-3 inches thick)

 

Remove filets from the skillet and set on a plate, lightly covered with tin foil and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. (This is important to bring your steak to its final serving temperature.

 

Top with a slice of garlic and herb butter and serve.

 

Garlic Herb Butter (make this first!)

½ stick butter

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 Tbsp. Chopped fresh tarragon

½ Tbsp. minced garlic

 

Soften the butter in in a microwave safe bowl until malleable, 10-15 seconds. Stir in the herbs and garlic until fully mixed. Spoon the butter onto tin foil doing our best to reshape it to reassemble a stick of butter. Place in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes  and remove 5 minutes before adding to the fillet.

 

Notes

·      The secret to cooking the perfect filet mignon is to combine pan searing in a cast iron skillet with an oven finish.

 

·      Cooking steaks at high temperatures in a skillet tends to get smokey. Open a kitchen window and turn on your kitchen’s overhead vent fan begore you start to help with ventilation.

 

via Kitchen Swagger