by EMERSON SLOANE
The image above is of my first official home cooked dinner in my new home from last night. Over the last week, while packing and moving, I've gotten by, out of necessity, on sandwiches and quick meals. So, after moving in the house on Friday and then spending Sunday getting my kitchen situated, I decided to give my new kitchen a full-fledged test drive and treat myself to a great Sunday dinner.
I opted for bacon wrapped filet of beef with sautéed baby red potatoes and kale greens. Simple and flavorful--higher end comfort food, as far as I'm concerned with the added benefit of not being bad for you to eat.
A filet (or fillet) is any boneless cut of meat. Most often, people think of mignon when they hear the word filet. A filet mignon is a small, boneless cut of beef and is cut from the front end of a beef tenderloin, a cut that crosses the sirloin and short loin. The filets in this meal are then cut into medallions. If you're in France, however, if you see "filet mignon" on a menu, you're more likely to get a cut of pork than beef.
Here's what you'll need:
2 filet mignon steaks (16-20 oz. total)
4 -6 slices of bacon
1 tablespoon of butter plus a bit of olive oil
fresh ground black pepper
sea salt
toothpicks
For the bacon, get substantial, meaty slices. Heat your oven to 375 degrees.
Trim the filets to remove the large segment of fat that is usually there, but be careful not to trim away any of the beef. Then, cut the filets into medallions--2-3 inches in diameter. You should be able to get 2-3 medallions from each filet of beef.
If you don't already have a cast iron skillet, find an oven safe skillet because you'll be transferring these filets from stovetop searing directly into the oven. Melt a tablespoon of butter in the skillet along with a bit of olive oil over low heat. If you don't have olive oil, the butter will suffice.
Wrap the filets tightly with a piece of bacon for each. Where the bacon overlaps, pin the bacon to the filet with a toothpick to keep it in place. Add a bit of salt and pepper to the tops of the filets. Flip carefully and repeat. Now, they're ready to sear.
People have differing views on searing beef. I think it's important. Contrary to what almost everyone seems to say about it, the purpose of searing beef isn't to keep moisture inside or to provide a juicier piece of beef. The purpose of searing is to give beef its depth of flavor, to give beef its beautiful coloring, and to caramelize the surface of the beef, elevating its flavor and appearance. Without searing, beef can often taste flat and look flat, too.
So, you'll sear these filets for 2 minutes in the pan, flip them over carefully and sear for another minute and a half. Do not squeeze the filets when turning them over and don't pat them down.
Take your skillet and immediately put it directly into your oven to finish them off. Let them sit in the oven for 7 minutes and no longer than 10 minutes if you prefer them a bit more done. I prefer a medium rare to medium doneness and it's better to have them more rare than overcooked. You can always heat them further after you take a look at how done they are, to your preference.
Remove the skillet from the oven and let the filets rest in the skillet for 2-5 minutes. It's important to let beef rest after cooking so it reabsorbs its juices. After they're done resting, gently remove them from the skillet, remove the toothpicks and serve immediately.
Serve with you favorite vegetables, potatoes, rice, or other sides that you and your guests or family enjoy. The beef is such a flavorful entree, you don't need anything overdone or complicated to accompany it. No need to gild the lily, as they say. I par-boiled cut baby reds and then sautéed them in a skillet with butter, olive oil, salt, and pepper. When they were nearly done, I added kale greens at the last moment and let them wilt while sautéing them with the potatoes.
Enjoy this beautiful and easy to prepare meal for any night of the week, or for occasions with guests.
© 2015 Haven Style.