Filet Mignon
Serves 1
Directions
- 1Pat the filets dry and coat them with a binder like oil or mustard.
- 2Salt the filets heavily and leave them uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry brine.
- 3Heat a cast iron skillet until it is ripping hot, turning on the fan as it will start to smoke.
- 4Add a light layer of beef tallow or any neutral oil to the hot pan.
- 5Place the filets in the middle of the pan.
- 6Add a protein weight on top of the filets to help build the crust.
- 7After about 2 minutes, toss in garlic cloves, fresh rosemary, and thyme to fry alongside the steaks.
- 8Flip the steaks once an even crust is established on the first side.
- 9Add butter, about 1 tablespoon per steak, and let it melt and marry with the herbs.
- 10Baste the steaks constantly with the melted butter and herb mixture, flipping every couple of minutes.
- 11Check the internal temperature of the steaks using a thermometer, aiming for 120°F for rare.
- 12Remove the steaks from the heat and place them on a wire rack.
- 13Drizzle the leftover butter from the pan over the cooked steaks.
- 14Let the steaks rest for at least 10 minutes.
- 15Slice the rested filets to reveal the wall-to-wall rare perfection.
- 16Finish the sliced steaks with Vampire Hunter finishing salt and cracked black pepper.
Ingredients
- Tenderloin
- Binder
- Salt
- Beef tallow
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh rosemary
- Thyme
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- Vampire Hunter finishing salt
- Cracked black pepper
Equipment
Cast iron panStoveFanProtein weightTongsThermometerWire rackCutting boardKnifeSpoon
Tips
- Dry brine by heavily salting and leaving uncovered in the fridge overnight (or at least 5 hours) to build a steakhouse crust.
- Use a thermometer to check doneness for precision cooking; avoid poking your hand.
- Pull the filet mignon from heat around 120°F (rare) for the classic filet texture.
- Rest the cooked steaks on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes, drizzling with leftover butter for extra flavor.