Many people consider filet mignon to be the finest type of steak, and after following this splendidly simple recipe, you may well number among those ranks. Using just a few simple ingredients and the heat of a seasoned cast-iron skillet, this filet mignon recipe will have you cooking one of the best steaks you’ve ever eaten in your life. Sorry chophouses, you’re just not needed anymore.
Not only is filet mignon a delight in itself, it pairs beautifully with so many of the side dishes that make steak even better. We’ll share some ideas for those later, but for now, let’s get this steak in the pan and cook it to a perfect medium-rare. Or whatever level of doneness you prefer, of course!
Filet Mignon Ingredients
- Filet mignon steaks: This recipe was designed to cook four filet mignon steaks, each weighing in at 6 ounces. If your cuts are notably larger, well then, that’s exciting for you. Just up the other ingredients proportionally.
- Kosher salt and pepper: Cooking a filet mignon without salt and pepper would be heresy. Notice that the salt is used in two different steps as you prepare the steak.
- Olive oil: You’ll be cooking the steak in a pan that’s good and hot, but make sure not to burn the oil, or it will turn rancid. Most olive oil has a smoke point around 375°F.
- Butter: How do steakhouses make their steaks so tasty? They use good-quality cuts of meat, for one thing. For another, they use plenty of butter.
- Garlic cloves: These garlic cloves need to be peeled, but they do not need to be minced or chopped, and in fact should not be. You can halve each for a bit more garlic flavor, but stop there.
- Rosemary sprigs: Like with the garlic, the fresh rosemary sprigs should not be chopped; leave them whole, and be sure to discard them before you serve the steaks.
Directions
Step 1: Salt the steaks
Molly Bolton for Taste of Home
Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and sprinkle them with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then let them stand for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Prep the pan
Molly Bolton for Taste of Home
Preheat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until it’s extremely hot, four to five minutes. Carefully add the olive oil and let it heat until it’s rippling.
Step 3: Prep the steaks
Molly Bolton for Taste of Home
Pat the beef dry with paper towels, and season all sides of each steak with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper.
Step 4: Cook the steak, basting with butter
Molly Bolton for Taste of Home
Place the steaks in the skillet and cook them until a golden-brown crust forms, three to four minutes. Turn the steaks on their sides and cook them for one minute,