Pan Seared Oven Roasted Filet Mignon

Fork tender with a great garlic taste. My go to method for this cut of the beef tenderloin. An extremely dependable 30 minutes including resting time recipe. Skill level 2/10.

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What to do with leftover beef tenderloin? Philly Sandwich a la grill

Last night we had a whole beef tenderloin with company. We knew we had too much but we never like to come up short. Also it is just so easy just oven roast it to minimize work and maximize talk time.

So I have a pound of cooked beef tenderloin. What to do? I have been want to try a Philly sandwich but hadn't done any research and it was already 6:30 and something need to be done. So I spent 5 minutes getting the french fries cut and going (See Easiest French Fries Ever) then put the griddle on the grill to preheat on high and started cutting.

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Garlic Filet Mignon

For the garlic lover in you... a garlic topped filet mignon.

We're back one of my favorites and the meat that started this blog. I wanted to write up the trimming and cutting of a whole beef tenderloin but my recipe page just didn't seem right so my blog was born with 4 posts on the "care" of the beef tenderloin.

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Beef Tenderloin – Part 4- Tenderloin Roast – The whole enchilada

This is our traditional Christmas dinner. We cook the whole thing at once.  Follow the cleaning instructions in part 1 but don’t cut it up.

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Beef Tenderloin – Part 3- Tenderloin Roast

I again can’t follow a recipe very well. This is mainly the Alton Brown recipe with comments on what I did or would do different.

(printable recipe)

Rub:(I didn’t feel the cumin added much. I will eliminate it next time or more likely use Penzey’s English Prime Rib Rub)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin

Ingredients:
Rub – see above and note.
1 to 1 1/4-pound tenderloin roast
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil (I added about a teaspoon to the pan and added about 2 gloves of garlic)

Directions:
1.    Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. convection (add 25 degrees if not convection) with the grill pan on the center grill.
2.    Roll roast in seasonings rub, coating well.
3.    Preheat a large pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add 1t oil without garlic and then brush the roast with the oil/garlic combo, and sear on all sides, approximately 8 to 10 minutes total cooking time. Remove the roast to a plate, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
4.    Place the roast back onto the grill pan, put in the oven and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees F, approximately 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, wrap in foil and insulate with a towel to retain heat, and allow to rest for 30 minutes before cutting. Alton uses 135 to remove the roast but I just not an ultra-rare person.

If you want a sauce, see the wine sauce method in part 2.

Beef Tenderloin – Part 2 - Steak a poivre (Pan-seared steak with black pepper and red wine)

The Alton Brown recipe involved flame and open fire. Not in my kitchen. Also I don’t have the cognac. MS-NBC had a recipe that appeared safer. I also referenced a recipe in a CI (Cooks Illustrated) cookbook. I added them all together and here we go.
Ingredients:  4 tenderloin filets mignons (also works with strip, or rib-eye steaks, 4 to 6 ounces each)
Black pepper About 2 T coarsely crushed
3 tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
3/4 cup good red wine
Garlic one clove
Salt

Directions:

1. Salt steaks lightly. Sprinkle the steaks liberally with coarsely grind pepper about 2 tablespoon of pepper and press it into the meat. Do not blacken or do just one side. Let set for about 30 minutes to get to room temperature.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes; turn the oven to 300° F and preheat oven pan (grill pan). The skillet MUST not be non-stick. I use my good All-Clad 12”.

3. Put 2 tablespoons of the butter (or olive oil) into the skillet; when the foam subsides, turn the heat up to medium-high and put in the steaks. Cook the steaks for about 4-5 minutes per side for medium-rare meat, a bit longer if you like it medium to well done. Use a meat thermometer to check for about 130-140 temp.  I undercook them a bit as they will continue to cook in the oven. Transfer the steaks to the oven on the grill pan in the oven.

4. Over medium heat, add the remaining butter to the pan, along with the shallot. Stir until the shallot softens, about 1 minute.
5. Add the wine and one glove fresh garlic, raise the heat to high, and let most of the liquid bubble away.

6. You must use a meat thermometer. Remove when done to taste (about 140-150 for me). Pour any juices that have accumulated around the steaks into the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the steaks and serve.

Notes: I got rid of Allspice that was mixed with the pepper in the original recipe . Decreased the pepper. Put garlic in the sauce instead of tarragon. Also the heat is wrong for an electric stove. Do 4-5 minutes per side at medium-high and cook until 130 at least. I also increase temp of oven to continue some cooking instead of keep warm only.

Note 2: All pictures taken at a later date with the modifications mentioned.

Beef Tenderloin- Part one- Cut it up

 A good place to start a new adventure…..the beef tenderloin.

Our local small supermarket always has tenderloin pismos (the whole loin vacuumed sealed) for $5.99/lb. I’m sure it is not prime, probably choice but for that price with very little waste, a good “hunk of cow” to experiment with.

Good Eats (Food Network-Alton Brown) reran “Tender is the Loin” pt1 and 2 before Christmas and I caught them on the DVR. Watch it if you can find it. The Good Eats Fan Pages has transcripts of the show. I haven’t found the episode on Food Network but I hear they are on YouTube. I found it reassuring to learn that I was doing it right (well almost) all these years.

My method of cleaning and cutting the loin

Tools: Large cutting board, paper towels, large hollow edge knife SHARP, boning knife SHARP, saran wrap, food storage bags, bag for waste
1.    Open, drain and wash off with clear water. Pat dry.
2.    Place on large cutting board and large end away from you. Side with the “silver skin” up.
3.    Dig in with our hands. You should be able to remove a lot of this by hand. There is a thin membrane under the fat. Get your finger in there and strip it out.
4.    The “silver skin” needs to be completely stripped out also. Get under it at the fat end and pull towards you. You may need the boning knife to help but remove it all.
5.    You will find areas that are part fat and part meat, get rid of it. You don’t want to eat that anyways.
6.    You may remove is the side muscles, also called the chain. This is on the thick end and can make a nice little roast but I leave it on and deal with the little trimming that isn’t done as I eat.
7.    Flip over and repeat stripping as much of the fat as possible.
8.    Get that big knife-it’s time to do some cutting.

Our goal is 1 ½ inch filets of good diameter. My knife is right at 1 ½ inch width. How convenient is that?
1.    Remove the skinny tail. I cut at the point where the diameter is about 1 ½ inches. This was about 4-5 inches for the end.
2.    The next cut is 3 inches past the first cut. Now on the piece you just removed, cut across grain at the half way point and go about 80% through. Fold it over on itself and you now have a nice diameter piece.
3.    Now cut 1 ½ inch fillets. You can cut to the end or leave the last 4-5 inches with the chain for a small roast.
4.    Wrap what you aren’t using immediately in saran wrap then in food storage bags and freeze or refrigerate.
5.    I use the skinny tail as another fillet. I “pinwheel” it upon itself and its fine.