Filet Mignon

We are true beef lovers here!  While we eat other meats, poultry and fish, beef is by far the meat of choice.  However, we very seldom buy pre-packaged meat especially beef in the grocery stores.  In addition to the grass fed, hormone free half of beef we buy from a local farmer we have dealt with for years, we also buy fresh beef from a local Mom & Pop butcher shop. 

My husband wanted to celebrate a special event last week.  He brought home three lovely, fresh prepared filet mignon steaks.  Filet mignon is the French term mean cute or dainty fillet.  The steak is a cut from the beef tenderloin.  It is wrapped in bacon medallion fashion.  In France, the term filet mignon refers to pork prepared in the same manner while filet de boeuf refers to the beef cut.

The fillet is the most tender cut of beef cut from the smaller tail end of the tenderloin.  An average steer or heifer produces four to six pounds of fillet, making it the most expensive cut of beef.  The cut and flavour of the filet mignon is well worth the price.  While frozen filet mignon steaks are available, these should be avoided.  It should be fresh cut, freshly prepared for premium flavour and texture.

My husband allowed the steaks to come to almost room temperature.  This is important to get the right degree of doneness when cooking any steak.  If a steak is put onto the grill directly from the refrigerator, the outside of the steak will grill nicely but the inside remain cold resulting in undercooked steak.  Realizing the steak is undercooked for the desired doneness, many return the steak to the grill to finish cooking.  The end result is a charred, tough as leather steak.  This can be avoided by letting the steak warm first.

The filet mignon was served with grilled foil wrapped potatoes, sweet peas, mushrooms and tomato slices.  That is fresh cut chives from the garden on my potato.  I love chives!  The steak was sinfully delectable, well worth the cost and a perfect celebration meal.