If you ask me how to cook fillet steak, I will tell you there is no magical recipe to prepare a juicy, spicy, melt-in-the-mouth, tender fillet steak or filet mignon. It is a simple recipe that you can prepare at home whenever you want.
To prepare a rich-flavored and restaurant-quality tender steak, all you need to do is—pay constant attention and high heat. And the results? Beautifully prepared and insanely delicious beef fillet steak your tastebuds always dream about.
So, if you have a plan for steak tonight, check out this article and learn how to cook fillet steak and some other interesting facts within a few minutes. Hurry up if you are hungry enough.
1. What Is Fillet Steak?
It is a tender muscle located towards the back of the rib cage, which forms the part sirloin. Although this part is very tender, fillet steak is an expensive cut of meat with little intramuscular fat, known as marbled fat. Fillet steak is known for its tenderness and subtle flavor profile that you will not find in any other steak.
2. This Is How You Do It
From grilling and frying to BBQ or slow cooking—you can prepare fillet steak in many ways. But here, I will tell you the easiest and tastiest way that you can beat any professional cook.
2.1. The Heros of The Picture—The Ingredients
- 225 g fillet steak, about 4cm thick
- 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 100 g of butter
- Two large garlic cloves
- A few sprigs of rosemary and thyme
- Himalayan salt and freshly ground pepper
2.2. And Then—The Preparation
Learning how to cook depends upon how well you can prepare it. From the marination to the serving, everything needs to be just right.
- First, remove your beef steak from the fridge for at least half an hour and no more than two hours before cooking it.
- After room temperature, pat dry with a paper towel for better searing and browning. Season your steaks with Himalayan salt, vegetable oil, and freshly ground black pepper. Otherwise, you can also use goose fat to make a thin layer over the steaks to get some extra flavour.
2.3. How to Make It—The Process
- Take a heavy-based frying pan and place it over high heat. Add oil to cover the bottom of the frying pan. Now, down the beef steaks when the pan is smoking hot, and don’t touch it for a few seconds.
- After frying for 2 to 3 minutes, it will develop a brown caramelized colour. Once the steak is golden-brown, turn down the temperature and flip the steaks. And keep cooking them to prevent burning.
Tip: Fillet steaks are thicker than any other steak, like ribeye or sirloin. Usually, it takes some more time to cook them.
- Sear the steaks for a few more minutes and add butter, garlic, rosemary, and thyme to the pan. Now allow the butter to melt and baste it over the steak on both sides. Cook it for 3 to 4 minutes to get a medium-rare finish.
- Finally, let the steak rest for at least five minutes in a warm place to improve its juiciness and flavour, and then serve it on a plate with some side dishes.
Tip: All steaks are unequal in size, shape, and structure. So, cooking times may differ sometimes.
- For rare: It usually takes 3-4 minutes on each side.
- For medium-rare, cooking time is about 4-5 minutes on each side.
- For medium: It takes nearly 5-6 minutes on each side.
2.4. Storage of Fillet Steak
The last of the fillet steaks depends on how well you pack them. When frozen and vacuum-packed, it can last up to one year without losing taste. Usually, frozen steaks will last about six months.
Freshly prepared fillet steaks will last 3 to 5 days regardless of their packaging in a standard fridge.
3. What Can I Pair with Fillet Steaks?
Add simple side dishes to your fillet beef steaks if you want a full luxury meal. Try homemade chips, jacket potato, macaroni cheese, or even creamy gratin paired beautifully with the perfectly fried steaks.
For a lighter mood, have it with roasted potatoes and broccoli, or try salads. Steak sauces are also a great addition. But remember that it should not overpower the rich flavor of the meat.
4. How to Choose the Perfect Fillet Steak?
If you want to prepare restaurant-quality fillet steaks, there are certain things that you need to know first.
4.1. Grass-fed vs. Grain-fed Beef
When you are searching for the best fillet steaks, select one that has come from a grass-fed cow. Grass-fed fillet steaks are way healthier than grain-fed ones. They contain more omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.
They are also much richer and more flavoursome in taste. Grass-fed beef is also recognized sometimes for its dark red colour paired with ‘orangey’ fat instead of pale white. This colouration comes from vitamin-A-filled natural grass.
4.2. Aging of The Fillet Steak
Some say wet-aged fillet steaks are the best, but others say dry-aged fillets have the best taste and flavour. So, now, what should I choose, right?
According to the experts, steaks should be wet and dry-aged for about 21 days—which delivers the best quality in terms of taste and tenderness.
4.3. Fat Marbling
Marbling or white flecks is a type of fat found within the meat muscle formed inside the rib eye’s cut. When you cook the steaks—the marbled fat melts and delivers a juicy taste; without this, your steaks taste dry and tasteless. It is one of the most tender cuts of meat available than any other steak.
5. Nutritional Value of Fillet Steaks
It is good to know—how much nutrition you can have from the fillet steaks. So, take a quick look at the nutritional facts,
- Serving size: 85 g
- Calories: 227
- Cholesterol: 82.5 mg
- Total Fat: 15 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Total Carbohydrate: 0 g
- Potassium: 279.6 mg
- Sodium: 45.9 mg
- Protein: 22 g
- Dietary fibre: 0 g
- Sugar: 0 g
Cook The Perfect Steak Now!
I hope you have found your answer. In addition to its restaurant-quality cooking method, I have also discussed other essential facts that you need to know before shopping for fillet steaks.
This article provides complete information on everything from how to select the perfect steak to its nutritional facts and storage technique. So, enjoy the reading and cook some juicy and spicy steaks for your friends and family.
Last Updated on July 11, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty
