Steak-House Seared Beef Tenderloin Filets Recipe - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between filet mignon and filet tenderloin? ›

Filet Mignon is part of the Tenderloin, which is why some see Tenderloin and Filet Mignon as one in the same. Filet Mignon is cut from the tip of the Tenderloin, a delicate and tender area of the loin primal.

Slow Oven-Roasting Method

Slow cooking in the oven requires a lower cooking temperature but a longer cooking time, resulting in a juicy, slightly pink center. Even if you like well-done beef, this is the method to use. Follow these steps to slow-roast your tenderloin: Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.

Should you sear beef tenderloin before cooking it? If roasting a tenderloin in the oven, you'll definitely want to sear it to get a golden brown crust. It doesn't take very long, and is so worth the effort.

Beef tenderloin is where you'll find filet mignon. But because filet mignon is just a portion of the full tenderloin, it's more expensive per pound than the beef tenderloin itself. However, that doesn't make the beef tenderloin a cheap piece of meat.

With that said, filet mignon and some tenderloin meat will taste similar. A trimmed tenderloin features only the tenderloin portion, which has a similar flavor to filet mignon. However, an untrimmed tenderloin will include parts of the short loin, too, which tends to have a richer flavor than the tenderloin.

Salting the roast and letting it rest uncovered overnight makes for deeper seasoning, plus a drier surface for more efficient browning. Slow-roasting in a low oven cooks the tenderloin evenly from edge to center.

Wet Brining with Baking Soda to Tenderize Meat

Whereas an oversaturated saltwater brine might make your cut less filet-like, a baking soda wet brine expedites the tenderizing process and limits the potential for oversaturation.

According to the USDA, it's not recommended to wash any raw meat before cooking.

Oils like avocado oil, grapeseed oil, and peanut oil have high smoke points and neutral flavors, making them ideal for achieving a perfect sear on steak.

Go for oil, it has a higher smoke point. You need a hot skillet to properly sear a steak, hot enough that a pat of butter will begin to burn before it melts completely. You don't want to sear your steak in burnt butter. So reach for some oil when searing steaks.

Should beef tenderloin be at room temperature before cooking? ›

Once thawed, remove your roast from the refrigerator at least one hour (but not more than two hours) before cooking to allow the roast to come to room temperature. Season your Beef Tenderloin Roast well.

Season the tenderloin ahead of time and sear it for 5 minutes per side on your grill. After the tenderloin is seared, top with the crust and bake immediately. For a more convenient approach, crust the tenderloin and keep refrigerated until you are ready to cook.

The tenderloin itself, once trimmed and cooked, serves about 2-3 people per pound as part of a larger meal, so often anywhere from 12-16 people for a whole one.

Grilling Filet Mignon

Black Angus filet mignon is the most tender cut of beef used for steaks. It comes from the smaller end of the tenderloin and should be well-marbled. You can grill it or cook it in a skillet and is best served blue rare or rare.

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.

You should end up with 13-15 steaks; most of them are filet mignon. Wrap each steak in plastic wrap; refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Beef tenderloin is widely regarded as the most tender cut of beef, and it's certainly the most expensive. It's a portion of the ever-popular T-bone or porterhouse steak, and the upscale filet mignon comes from it as well. These tender steaks do well with a quick stove-top sear before getting finished in the oven.