YACookingT: How to cook Filet Mignon in a kitchen?

[purbeast0]

I was googling today how to cook a fliet with an oven. It has been a long while since I've cooked one and usually it is on a grill, but that is not an option.

Just wondering if anyone has any specific ways they do this. I'm going to simply season it with salt and pepper or maybe some garlic salt, not too sure. I won't be marinating it.

I read a result online stating that they sear it for 3 minutes on each side on medium/high flame on the skillet, then toss it in the oven at 375 degrees for a certain amount of time, depending how rare you want it.

As of now I plan on following this. I just thought that searing for 3 minutes on each side over a medium/high flame iwll be too much. But since it seemed a somewhat reputable site I think I'll give it a try. Also I am not sure if my pan is oven safe or not.

Here is the site I found ... http://www.steaks-guide.com/article-pages/recipes/cooking_filet_mignon_in_the_oven.php

Does anyone else have any other ways they do it?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Boil it in fish oil!

 

[spidey07]

Cast iron skillet, in oven 450+ degrees for 15 minutes
Steak room temp with extremely light high smoke point oil (no more than a teaspoon really), salt/pepper
skillet out on high heat burner
1 minute on one side, 30-45 seconds on the other
skillet back in oven
Meat is done in about 5 minutes depending on thickness, use finger to test for doneness. Flip once during cooking in oven.

 

[KeithTalent]

If I ever ate filet, which I don't because it has no flavour, I would sear in a cast iron pan a couple of minutes both side, then throw it in the oven for 5-10 minutes or so, depending on the thickness.

KT

 

[jiggahertz]

I sear mine on a cast iron skillet for 1.5 mins/side on high, but I also have the hottest stove I've ever used. If you have any nonmetal on the handle your pan probably isn't oven safe.

 

[Ns1]

If I ever ate filet, which I don't because it has no flavour, I would sear in a cast iron pan a couple of minutes both side, then throw it in the oven for 5-10 minutes or so, depending on the thickness.

KT

the only filet I ever truly enjoyed was from Morton's. Not as much flavor as say, rib eye, but way healthier.

 

[purbeast0]

Cast iron skillet, in oven 450+ degrees for 15 minutes
Steak room temp with extremely light high smoke point oil, salt/pepper
skillet out on high heat burner
1 minute on one side, 30-45 seconds on the other
skillet back in oven
Meat is done in about 5 minutes depending on thickness, use finger to test for doneness. Slip once during cooking in oven.

ok im a little confused by your engrish.

preheat oven to 450 degrees for 15 mins, then search on each side on high burner for 1 minute on one side then 30-45 on the other, then toss it back in the oven for 5 mins depending on thickness?

what does slip once mean?

 

[purbeast0]

I sear mine on a cast iron skillet for 1.5 mins/side on high, but I also have the hottest stove I've ever used. If you have any nonmetal on the handle your pan probably isn't oven safe.

i do have non metals on the handles...

should i put it in something else after searing, or will this process not work at all in general?

 

[spidey07]

ok im a little confused by your engrish.

preheat oven to 450 degrees for 15 mins, then search on each side on high burner for 1 minute on one side then 30-45 on the other, then toss it back in the oven for 5 mins depending on thickness?

what does slip once mean?

Sorry. You don't HAVE to flip it when it's in the oven but I normally do to get more even cooking and have more of the center stay medium-rare. At this temp and with the cast iron you're REALLY putting the heat to the meat and it can penetrate quickly.

 

[purbeast0]

what can i do if i don't have an oven safe skillet? toss it into like a cookie sheet type of deal and put it in there?

 

[MrChad]

what can i do if i don't have an oven safe skillet? toss it into like a cookie sheet type of deal and put it in there?

Buy a skillet.

 

[KeithTalent]

what can i do if i don't have an oven safe skillet? toss it into like a cookie sheet type of deal and put it in there?

You can do that, just make sure the pan is already in the oven heating up. You don't want to put the hot meat on the cold sheet, it will stall the process.

KT

 

[Fern]

I cook a lot, it's one of my hobbies.

But I'm no expert on filet mignion; I don't often prepare it (although I love it).

But I'd say to careful about those instructions, which look pretty good to me. The sear time and baking time will certainly depend upon the the thickness of the cut of steak. I see no mention of that in the recipe.

Obviously thicker cuts take longer in the oven.

The recipe also mentions bringing the (vegitable) cooking oil to it's smoke point. Be aware that different oils have different smoke points (temperature at which the oil begins smoking):

http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/collectedinfo/oilsmokepoints.htm

That'll affect how long before you get a proper sear on the filet. I'd probably want mine to be at least 365 degrees (I use an instatnt read temp gun - laser aimed ), but I'd 'eyeball it' instead of relying on the time. I don't believe the thickness of the filet affects the sear, but thinner filets will tend to cook through when searing and drastically reduce oven time (if any is even required).

I'd aim to err on the side of too rare, since you can always pop it back into the oven but can't 'uncook'.

Fern

 

[Fern]

i do have non metals on the handles...

should i put it in something else after searing, or will this process not work at all in general?

Many non-metal handles are OK in the oven, but only up to a certain limit. Look on the back of the pan and see if there's any info on that. If not, assume it's NOT suitable for the oven.

Fern

 

[spidey07]

Many non-metal handles are OK in the oven, but only up to a certain limit. Look on the back of the pan and see if there's any info on that. If not, assume it's NOT suitable for the oven.

Fern

Most any non-metal handle can't go past 400-425.

 

[silverpig]

If you don't have an oven safe skillet, then do the searing, and then put it in the microwave on high for about 2 minutes.

 

[ElFenix]

that new silicone bake stuff can handle 600 degrees, if the handle is made of that it can handle an oven at 500. i wouldn't put it in the broiler. most plastic handles aren't good past 450, and a lot of them aren't good past 350.

anway, any heavy bottom pan on medium heat for 4 minutes a side will do very well.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/steak-au-poivre-recipe/index.html

follow those instructions with the butter and olive oil (the browning will tell you when the temp is right). no need to go the whole au poivre route if you don't want to. it turns out very well.

a cookie sheet won't work. cast iron has a much greater specific heat than aluminum, and so has a lot of heat to give to the food once you put food in it. even if you had a steel cookie sheet there isn't enough volume in the sheet to hold as much heat as a cast iron skillet at the same temp.

 

[acheron]

Boil it in fish oil!

I don't know why, but I laughed out loud at this.

 

[preslove]

what can i do if i don't have an oven safe skillet? toss it into like a cookie sheet type of deal and put it in there?

As someone else said: Buy a damn skillet.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Here is the site I found ... http://www.steaks-guide.com/article-pages/recipes/cooking_filet_mignon_in_the_oven.php

I would not trust any site that claims that searing a steak holds in the juices, that's pure bullshit and anyone that believes it should not be allowed within 50 feet of a good cut of beef. But in this case, they are at least espousing the right method. I prefer to have my beef grilled as I like the taste that only flame can impart. Lacking a grill and being forced to cook indoors the cast iron skillet into the oven method will achieve the best results. If you don't have the proper cookware, get the proper cookware. A cast iron skillet costs less than the steaks you'll be cooking, don't ruin them by using crappy tools.

 

[MikeMike]

how to cook a filet...

sear in skillet, for 1 minute a side, do all 6 sides, on uber high heat...

place on plate.

eat

 

[Kirby]

I won't be marinating it.

wtf...who in their right mind would?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HXaLB5k7HE#t=4m44s

 

[OCGuy]

Apply heat.

 

[DrPizza]

There's a very lengthy thread here somewhere about the Alton Brown method of cooking a steak. After heating a cast iron pan to 500 degrees in an oven (which is just giving the pan a head start), you put it on the burner for a few more minutes. The pan is well over 500 degrees on the stove top. Prepare your room temperature filet with kosher salt, pepper, and a litttttle bit of oil - just enough to make it glisten which helps transfer the heat. You want either peanut oil, else safflower oil. Things like olive oil will be baddddddd for this because they smoke at too low of a temperature & will give the meat an off-flavor from them burning.

Slap the filet down on the cast iron pan, which should be really hot after about 5 minutes of sitting on the burner. For a 1" sirloin or ribeye, I sear it for 40 seconds per side, then without flipping it a 2nd time, toss it into the oven. At 2 minutes, flip it to the other side. After another 2 minutes, it's done. When you take it out, place it on an inverted saucer on a plate so that any juices that do come out will be drained away. Let it sit for 2 minutes for the temperatures to come to an equilibrium inside. I can cook a perfect medium rare steak, and after letting it rest 2 or 3 minutes before serving, I can slice it into relatively thin slices & not have a drop of juice run out of the steak.


I haven't cooked a filet this way, simply because while they're the tenderest cut, they're not considered the tastiest cut. The reason for the high price is not because they're the best, rather the high price is because while they're still sought after, there's not that much filet compared to the amount of strip, ribeye, or combination steak. i.e. look at a porterhouse or t-bone. One side has a lot of meat, the other not so much. The not so much side is the filet side. The actual thickness of that narrow side (1", IIRC) determines whether the cut can be called a porterhouse vs. a t-bone. Thus, the price of filet mignon is controlled by supply and demand. Low supply is the reining factor.

Anyway, if *I* were to cook a filet, I'd use the exact same method as cooking a ribeye with only one minor change. (Plus, I'd adjust the cooking time, as always, depending on the thickness of the steak. I've cooked enough steaks this way that I can easily alter the time based on the thickness & get a perfectly cooked medium rare every time.) That change is that during the final 2 minutes of cooking, I would top the filet with something. The last time I ordered a filet at a restaurant, it was topped with gorgonzola. It was *awesome.* My wife purchased a bourbon glaze for steaks a couple of months ago. Just a few spoonfuls on top of any steak I've had makes them taste incredible, although with ribeyes, I generally just prefer the flavor of a good steak by itself.

Regardless, I highly recommend searching youtube for the Alton Brown videos (there are at least 3) on cooking steaks. Do yourself a favor & watch the one on eggs too (if you eat eggs.)