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How to cook a filet mignon

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robnybbq
robnybbq Posts: 1,911
in EggHead Forum
We picked up a filet mignon. How should I cook it tomorrow night? Was guessing at 350 raised direct for ~ 1 hour to 150 internal? Sound right or should I sear on the spider lower hen roast up higher? Give some tips?

_______________________________________________________________
LBGE, Adjustable Rig, Spider, High-Que grate, maverick ET-732, Thermapen,

Garnerville, NY
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  • Village Idiot
    Village Idiot Posts: 6,959
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    Trex
    __________________________________________

    Dripping Springs, Texas.
    Just west of Austintatious


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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
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    Is it a beef tenderloin roast, (Chateaubriand) or is it a fillet mignon steak?
    For a steak, because of the low fat content, I prefer a reverse sear. Some even wrap the steak with a strip of bacon. Indirect at 250-275 for about 30 minutes for 1" to 1-1/2" steak, aim for an internal of 115. Pull and hold warm while you change egg set-up to direct with the vents open - looking for a dome of 500-600. Toss the fillet back on and sear both sides, maybe 30-60 seconds a side. Final temp somewhere between 125-130. 

    I do the same for a "roast" cut, it just takes a bit longer to get to the indirect temp of 115. 

    This technique allows the meat to take some smoke from the lump and allows any seasoning to flavour the meat a bit more than sear and cook, IMHO. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • robnybbq
    robnybbq Posts: 1,911
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    It's a 4 lb piece of meat. Cook it whole or slice it up?

    _______________________________________________________________
    LBGE, Adjustable Rig, Spider, High-Que grate, maverick ET-732, Thermapen,

    Garnerville, NY
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  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
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    I like to sear a 1 1/2 inch filet on a hot (600 - 750 degrees) CI griddle for 4 - 6 minutes a side until desired temp (135 for me).  A little EVOO and salt and pepper is all the flavor you need.  
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    robnybbq said:
    We picked up a filet mignon. How should I cook it tomorrow night? Was guessing at 350 raised direct for ~ 1 hour to 150 internal? Sound right or should I sear on the spider lower hen roast up higher? Give some tips?
    Gawd not 150*.I would say hot tub it about 40 minutes per inch of thickness and hard sear it in a cast iron pan til it's 125* max. If its a true Chateaubriande it will rise about 8* while it is resting

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
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    What monsieur Étienne said. Cook to rare and rest.
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  • bigguy136
    bigguy136 Posts: 1,362
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    Village Idiot said:
    Trex

    +1 or Caveman. Both are great.

    Big Lake, Minnesota

    2X Large BGE, 1 Mini Max, Stokers, Adjustable Rig

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  • ChokeOnSmoke
    ChokeOnSmoke Posts: 1,942
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    In general, cook all steaks the same way -- high heat to give it a nice crust and pull at 125 internal, let rest a few minutes.  Simple as that.
    Packerland, Wisconsin

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  • onedbguru
    onedbguru Posts: 1,647
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    earlier this week I did a filet steak -1.5 to 2 inches... did it at ~550-600 for 4-6 minutes a side - Med Rare PERFECT.

    Tonight, Did a pizza ~600  PS LU + grate + pizza stone elevated by 2 bricks. (I have an XL)
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
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    ChokeOnSmoke said:

    In general, cook all steaks the same way -- high heat to give it a nice crust and pull at 125 internal, let rest a few minutes.  Simple as that.
    I agree if you like a crust, which in most cases is actually a burned grid mark, not a full mahogany crust. Great steak houses use a Salamander which actually broils a steak - virtually no grid marks, that's why a caveman is great, IMHO. One place in Seattle actually hot tubs the steaks until you order it, then they broil for finish. Over the past few years, the reverse sear has caught on - maybe because of Modernist Cuisine, or maybe just to be different. With a fillet it is hard to mess it up, unless you really overcook it. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • SmokinDAWG82
    SmokinDAWG82 Posts: 1,705
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    I did Filets a couple weeks ago. Indirect at 350 till IT of 115-120 the remove plate setter and sear a few minutes on each side. Best I've ever made
    LBGE
    Go Dawgs! - Marietta, GA
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  • robnybbq
    robnybbq Posts: 1,911
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    So should I cut up the whole piece of meat? Or cook it as a big roast? It's about 1 1/2 ft long.

    _______________________________________________________________
    LBGE, Adjustable Rig, Spider, High-Que grate, maverick ET-732, Thermapen,

    Garnerville, NY
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  • Kosko
    Kosko Posts: 535
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    Personally I would cut it in 1 1/2 thick slices are Trex it! I started doing the Trex method about a month ago and it's the best steaks I have ever put in my mouth!
    Peachtree City, Ga Large BGE
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  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
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    I have not cooked a whole tenderloin before, but it is something I would like to try.  I would imagine it would be great either way.  It is basically akin to cooking either a prime rib roast, or cooking rib-eye steaks.  Both great...but different! 

    Just my opinion, but I think I woudl incorporate bacon.  This may be somewhat "extreme"...but man this sure looks good:


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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  • reh111
    reh111 Posts: 196
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    What you've got is a beef tenderloin - roast it as you would a pork tenderloin to about 125 - 130 (rare - medium/rare) and rest - I'd do it direct and flip it once after about 10 minutes at about 400 so that you get a good seared crust - if it's like most tenderloins there is a thick end and a small end - the temp should be taken in the thick end - you'll get fairly well done on the small end with graduated degrees of doneness as you move toward the thick part - I'd also put a steak rub and let it sit refrigerated with the rub on  it for awhile
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
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    robnybbq said:
    So should I cut up the whole piece of meat? Or cook it as a big roast? It's about 1 1/2 ft long.
    @robynybbq sounds like you may have the whole tenderloin. The best treatment is to trim it, cut some of it into steaks leave some as a roast - unless of course you are trying to feed a number of folks and need the whole thing. (suggest you Google trimming a tenderloin, lots of videos. 
    Some tenderloins come trimmed (chain off) some are "complete". usually if it says fillet - it is trimmed (in my neighborhood). 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • robnybbq
    robnybbq Posts: 1,911
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    Cut them into 1.5 inch pieces.  Egg at 500 - through in some Jack Daniels chips as adding the meat. Cooked them on the new cast iron grate on a spider for ~3 min on each side them removed to a raised direct grid (AR).  Cooked until 125 - Amazing.  I am not a Filet Mignon fan but these were great.

    Thanks All.

    _______________________________________________________________
    LBGE, Adjustable Rig, Spider, High-Que grate, maverick ET-732, Thermapen,

    Garnerville, NY
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  • Bill_Swerski
    Bill_Swerski Posts: 59
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    cook it whole.  beef tenderloin is my favorite piece of meat.  so tender.  get a good horseradish sauce to go with it (I always whip heavy whipping cream and then throw in a few spoonfulls of horseradish to taste).
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
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    150F?  Only if you like your beef well done.

    Either clean it up, tie up the tail to get it as uniform as possible, and cook indirect to 125F, or if you want it to go faster, you could slice it up into probably half a dozen or more nice size (2" thick) steaks and then just salt and cook them direct about 4 minutes per side at 400F.  T-Rex method works well for these.

    Assuming it's a whole untrimmed one, you want to remove the side chain (and keep it for steak sandwiches) and as much silver skin as possible before cooking.
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