Cooking filet mignon

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Some easy recipes for cooking filet mignon

While some people find other cuts to be more flavorful, filet mignon simply melts in your mouth, making it one of the most popular choices in steaks.

A filet mignon is commonly cut about two inches (5 cm) thick and three inches (7.5 cm) wide, although there are variations. Filet is rather expensive by the pound (about 453 grams), but a single filet mignon usually weighs much less than a pound, typically weighing in at six to eight ounces (about 168-224 grams).
Filet mignon can be purchased in grocery stores and butcher shops, and it is also served in many fine restaurants. You may also order prime filet mignon steaks online. They are shipped fresh and ready to cook. It is often wrapped with bacon to enhance the flavor. Because filet mignon is boneless and extremely lean, it is not quite as flavorful as bone-in steaks or those trimmed with a bit of fat.

Most people who enjoy filet mignon prefer it left thick and have the steak cooked medium rare to rare. Be aware that a rare filet mignon will barely be warm in the center. You might want to have it cooked a little more, but it is best to ask for it rarer than you like, since it can always be cooked a little longer.

There are many ways of cooking filet mignon. Here are a few favorite recipes:

Filet Mignon With Mushroom-Wine Sauce
4 servings

? 1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, divided ? 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots ? 1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed ? 1-1/2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine, divided ? 1 (10-1/2-ounce) can beef consomm?, undiluted and divided ? Cracked black pepper ? 4 (4-ounce) filet mignon steaks (about 1 inch thick) ? 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce ? 2 teaspoons cornstarch ? 1 teaspoon dried thyme ? Thyme sprigs (optional) 1. Melt 1-1/2 teaspoons butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and mushrooms; saute for 4 minutes. Add 1 cup wine and 3/4 cup consomm?; cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon; place in a bowl. Increase heat to high; cook wine mixture until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Add to mushrooms in bowl; set aside. Wipe pan with a paper towel.

2. Sprinkle pepper over steaks. Melt 1-1/2 teaspoons butter in pan over medium heat. Add steaks; cook 3 minutes on each side. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 1-1/2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Place on a platter; keep warm. 3. Combine soy sauce and cornstarch. Add 1/2 cup wine and remaining consomm? to skillet; scrape skillet to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Add mushroom mixture, cornstarch mixture, and dried thyme; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Serve sauce with steaks. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 steak and 1/2 cup sauce). ~FILET MIGNON WITH COGNAC CREAM SAUCE ?a truly delicious way of cooking filet mignon.

1/2 stick unsalted butter 1 tsp. grated lemon rind 1 tsp. grated orange rind 1/4 c. sweet paprika 1/4 c. olive oil Bay leaves 4 (2 inch) filet mignon 3 tbsp. cognac 1/2 c. finely chopped onion 1/4 c. dark beer (optional) 1 tbsp. ketchup 1 tsp. Worcestershire 1/4 c. fresh minced parsley 1/4 c. heavy cream Salt and pepper

1. Blend butter, lemon rind, orange rind, paprika, salt and pepper. In a skillet, heat oil with bay leaf on high heat, discard bay leaf and saut? the filets for 12-15 minutes, turning. Take out and keep warm. 2. Pour off oil and deglaze the skillet with cognac. Add butter mixture, onion and cook low until onion cooked. Stir in beer, ketchup, Worcestershire, parsley. Bring to a boil. Stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper and serve over filet mignon with rice.

SAUTEED FILET MIGNON ? a quick and simple way of cooking filet mignon. It’s good, too!

4 filets mignons 2 tbsp. butter 1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic 1/4 c. dry white wine (Vermouth) Salt and pepper

Trim fat from edges of each filet. Liberally add pepper (cracked black) and Lawry’s season salt. In large skillet heat butter and whisk in garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add filets mignons and quickly sear each side. Continue to cook over medium heat 4 minutes on each side (medium to rare). Remove filets mignons to serving platter. Add wine to skillet scraping up garlic in bottom of pan. Pour over filets mignons.
FILET MIGNON WITH COGNAC CREAM SAUCE –a truly delicious way of cooking filet mignon.

1. Blend butter, lemon rind, orange rind, paprika, salt and pepper. In a skillet, heat oil with bay leaf on high heat, discard bay leaf and sauté the filets for 12-15 minutes, turning. Take out and keep warm. 2. Pour off oil and deglaze the skillet with cognac. Add butter mixture, onion and cook low until onion cooked. Stir in beer, ketchup, Worcestershire, parsley. Bring to a boil. Stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper and serve over filet mignon with rice.

SAUTEED FILET MIGNON—a quick and simple way of cooking filet mignon. It’s good, too!

4 filets mignons 2 tbsp. butter 1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic 1/4 c. dry white wine (Vermouth) Salt and pepper