How to Cook Filet Mignon

Filet mignon is refers to the meat that is taken from tenderloin of an animal, especially cattle. Filet is a French word where filet refers to 'thick slice' and mignon means 'dainty'. This is a tender meat and is found at the small tail end of the tenderloin, on the back ribcage of the beef. As the muscles in this area are not weight-bearing, the flesh found here is very tender. However, filet mignon which is said to be 1 inch in diameter, does not have the flavor of the meat that is attached to the bones. Nevertheless, cooking helps in enhancing the flavor of the filet mignon. Though there are loads of people who love filet mignon, eating this dish from a restaurant can be quite expensive. Therefore, it is better to learn to cook filet mignon at home itself. So, people who are looking for an answer to the question, how to cook filet mignon do not have to worry anymore, as here we will learn the different methods of cooking filet mignon.

How to Cook Filet Mignon

One very important thing that one should remember before cooking filet mignon is that it should only be cooked till medium rare. An ideal time to reach the medium rare stage is approximately 9 minutes. This is important because overcooking the filet mignon will get rid of its tenderness, making it dry as well as losing its flavor. Hence, a dry method of cooking, which includes frying, grilling, roasting, broiling, etc, should be opted for while cooking this dish. As filet mignon possesses very little fat content, bacon slices are attached to the filet mignon which helps to enhance its flavor as well as prevent it from drying out during the cooking process. Let us take a look at the different ways that one can adopt, to cook filet mignon.

• Oven Roasted Filet Mignon
  Cooking filet mignon in the oven is said to be an easy procedure. However, before you cook the meat in the oven, it is necessary that you sear it in a skillet. Before beginning the cooking process, season both sides of the meat with salt and pepper. You can also place slices of bacon on both the sides of the filet mignon, and secure it with a toothpick. Heat oil in a pan and sear each side of the steak for three minutes. When this is done, place the seared steaks in a baking dish and cook it in a 275 degrees F, preheated oven. To make a medium rare cooked filet mignon, you will have to bake for 6-8 minutes. Transfer into plates and serve with butter or steak sauce.
• Grilled Filet Mignon
  If you want to know how to grill filet mignon, here is the answer awaiting you. First, you need to rub the steak with ground pepper, salt and some steak spice (optional) and allow it to sit for thirty minutes. During this time, preheat your grill to medium-high temperature. As filet mignon should be cooked quickly to prevent it from becoming dry, make sure that you grill it on a medium temperature. Place the filet mignon on the grill and cook from three to five minutes on each side. While grilling, use spatula or tongs because grilling the steak by piercing it with a fork will make it dry as the juices may run out of it. Cover the meat with a silver foil and let it sit for five minutes. Place on a dish and serve by drizzling olive oil over it.
• Stove Cooked Filet Mignon
  Apart from the above ways of cooking, if you want to know how to cook filet mignon in a skillet, this is the way you can do it. The first step will be to season the steak with salt, pepper and other seasonings of your choice. Then, pour 3 teaspoons of margarine or butter in a skillet and when it gets heated, add 3 teaspoons of olive oil and combine them on high heat. The next step will be to place the filet mignon in the pan and when one side becomes brown, turn it on to the other side. When it turns brown in color, add a spoon of butter and cook for one minute. Take the cooked steak out of the stove and serve.

Signs for Perfectly Cooked Filet Mignon

You can check whether the steak is cooked by touching it. If the filet mignon is tender when you touch it and leaves an imprint of your finger, it is said to be rare. On the other hand, if it feels tender on your touch, but does not leave an imprint, it said to be medium rare. However, if the steak is very firm or hard, it is said to be overcooked. It is best to check the tenderness of the steak in this method because if you cut the filet mignon during the cooking process, there is every chance of juices running out and the steak turning dry.

Some Extra Tips

• When you go out shopping for filet mignon, make sure to buy some light-colored slices, since they are more tender than the dark ones.
• Make it a point to tie up the loose ends of the pieces to make sure that they get completely cooked.
• For making the filet mignon kebabs in the Indian way, it is recommended that you chop the slices into tiny cubes before you start cooking.

I hope your doubts about how to cook filet mignon are cleared with this article. So, the next time you have a party or get together at home, cook filet mignon and serve it with your favorite sauce and a wine that goes perfectly with it.