How to Cook Filet Mignon Without Sous-Vide Circulator
In terms of steaks, I paid too much attention to the ribeye. I love fat and meat that attaches to bones, but adherence to one piece is limiting for both the steak lover and the cook. This elaborate passion of mine has robbed me of the pleasure of making thicker, leaner, but still very tender steaks such as filet mignon or any other tenderloin steak. (All filet mignons are sirloin, but not all sirloin steaks are filet mignons.)
Perfectly cooked, fillet mignon is the epitome of the decadence of 90s gourmet cuisine, and for good reason: it is extremely tender, with a clean, soft yet meaty flavor. It tastes like a steak and nothing else.
A cow is a large animal with many variations throughout its body, and these variations need to be considered when preparing a steak. Marble fat acts as a kind of protective net, keeping moisture and elasticity when the steak is exposed to heat, and filet mignon is very low in this intramuscular fat. Filet mignon is cut from tenderloin, a muscle that does not carry weight, which moves a little; Like my abs, this lack of tension is what makes the lower back so tender, but overdoing it with heat can ruin the trophies of inaction.
As with my favorite piece of pork , the gentle low-temperature approach works best. Yes, you can watch them, and there are many detailed guides on how to do this, so I’m not going to stop here, but you can get great, extremely even results using just your oven and stovetop.
That’s right, I once again praise the virtues of “reverse frying”, in other words, frying at a low temperature followed by a very quick frying in a pan. The only special equipment that you need – is a thermometer with instant readout, but every person who is preparing and eating meat, in any case, must be one of them . You will want to remove the steak from the oven when it is 15 degrees below the target temperature. Since you don’t need any extra heat to break down the marbled fat, I recommend aiming for the sparser medium to medium side – around 130 ℉.
You will also need a simple baking sheet and pan that can handle high temperatures, such as stainless steel or cast iron (not non-stick). I use stainless steel because it takes about five minutes for my electric stove to get red-hot, and this is when I prefer to rest for a steak between the oven and stove. (If you want to use cast iron, start heating it a little earlier.)
Not all tenderloin steaks are filet mignon, but this cooking method works well for any thick, lean steak made from a portion of the cow that is not very active. If you are not sure if your steak meets these parameters, ask the person who works at your local meat counter – they will know and will be happy to share their knowledge. To make a tender thick steak soup, you will need:
- 1 filet mignon or other sirloin steak
- Salt
- About a teaspoon of neutral oil with a high smoke point (vegetable oil or canola oil will work)
- Optional: 1/2 glass of red wine.
- Optional: 2 tablespoons of butter.
Remove the steak from the refrigerator, season it with copious amounts of salt, and place it on a baking sheet or other skillet. Set the oven to 200 ℉. Once the oven has reached this temperature, place the steak pan on the center rack and bake for 10 minutes. Measure the temperature with an instantaneous thermometer (just to get an idea of how quickly the food heats up), turn the steak over and cook for another 7-10 minutes until the center of the steak reaches 15 degrees. shy of the desired cooking temperature. (Start checking five minutes after the flip if you’re nervous.) I love my rare side – medium to medium, so I take my steaks out of the oven when they hit 115 ℉. Remove the steak from the oven and let it cool while you reheat the pan (about five minutes).
Drizzle a skillet with about a teaspoon of neutral oil, wipe off any excess with a paper towel, and heat the skillet over very high heat until the oil begins to smoke. Fry the steak on all sides, including the edges, turning every 30 seconds until a nice crust is obtained. If the steak does not release when you turn it over, let it cook a little more – it will come loose as soon as the crust forms. Transfer the steak to a plate and let it rest for at least five minutes. You can use this time to make a simple skillet sauce if you like.
Remove the saucepan from heat, add wine and scrape off the browned pieces with a wooden spoon. Let the wine cut to about half (you may need to put the pan back on the burner), then add the butter and whisk to mix. Serve with a perfectly cooked tender steak, preferably baked garlic potatoes (for a full ’90s steakhouse feel).