Bobby Flay's filet mignon brings the heat and the sweet (2024)

FAQs

How does Bobby Flay cook a filet mignon? ›

For the filet mignon:

Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch cast iron pan until it begins to shimmer. Put the steaks in the pan, rub-side down and cook until a crust forms, about 3 minutes. Turn the steaks over, lower heat a bit and continue cooking until medium-rare doneness, about 4 minutes longer.

A hot skillet delivers the best sear. Add some butter or a high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil and sear steaks for 1–2 minutes on each side. The final internal temperature of your steak should be 135°F for medium-rare and 145°F for medium.

This cut of meat is prized for its tenderness, flavor, and overall quality. The filet mignon cut was originally only eaten by the upper class, as it was quite expensive.

The vegetable oil has a higher smoke point. You can add that great butter for flavor at the end! Check the temperature of your meat before you transfer the skillet to the oven. If the filet mignon is within about 5-10 degrees of your desired temperature, you may need even less than 3 minutes in the oven.

Slow roast.

Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of a steak registers about 115°F for medium rare, 20 to 30 minutes (start checking at 20 minutes). If you'd like the steak more rare or more well-cooked, add or subtract 10 degrees for each level of doneness.

What temperature should I cook filet mignon in the oven? Set your oven to 425 degrees to cook filet mignon after searing. If you'd rather broil filet mignon, set the broiler to 500 degrees to broil for 2-3 minutes per side. Then, lower the temperature to 425 degrees to continue cooking.

To reverse sear a one-inch filet mignon, set your oven to 200-250 degrees. Cook the filet for about 45 minutes until its temperature reaches about 120 degrees. Then, sear in a preheated pan for 1-3 minutes on each side. Finally, let rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Mist the rack with cooking spray. Pat the steak dry thoroughly with paper towels. Season generously all over with salt; sprinkle lightly with pepper. Place on the rack and bake until an instant-read thermometer stuck into the thickest part reads 120ºF for medium rare, 20 to 25 minutes (start checking after 15 minutes).

Technically, filet mignon is as kosher as any other cut of meat. The problem with filet mignon and other cuts from the rear is that they are located near the sciatic nerve and fatty deposits known in Hebrew as chelev, which are Biblically forbidden.

Because filet is super lean, it lacks the necessary intramuscular fat that imbues a truly delectable steak with its signature rich flavor. Without that gorgeous (and flavorful!) marbling, filet can become dry if it's cooked past medium, and it also needs a little help to achieve a distinctive flavor.

Is there a better steak than filet mignon? ›

These cuts—ribeye, New York strip loin, and filet mignon—can certainly be dubbed the best, and few will disagree. “Filet is the most tender cut, but has the least amount of flavor. Ribeye is the most flavorful, but the least tender of the three, and New York is in the middle.” Flannery explains.

Place steaks in pan, rub-side down, and sear for 35 to 40 seconds. Salt the non-rub side while the steaks are searing. Turn steaks over, and place pan in oven until steaks are medium rare, 8 to 10 minutes, brushing with glaze during last 2 minutes. Remove steaks from oven, and brush again with glaze.

After testing, I've found that the best way to cook filet mignon is to pan sear it in a hot cast iron skillet. Some recipes have you get a good sear on the stovetop and then finish in the oven but I don't find that to be the best method.

Broiling steak gives it a quick sear that baking does not. However, if cooking past medium-rare, broiling could crisp the outside of filet mignon too much while not cooking the inside enough.