Pan Seared and Oven Roasted Filet Mignon

If you ever wanted to know how to cook filet mignon without a grill, I’m about to show you a perfect way to do it. I’d love to tell you that I’m a die-hard grilling machine who pulls out the grill in the dead of winter but I’m not. I hate the cold weather but I love a perfectly-cooked filet mignon so I learned a long time ago how to make them indoors. Do I prefer them grilled? Of course I do! But this is definitely the next best thing.

I use a few basic cooking tools for this, including a cast iron skillet and a probe thermometer but if you want to cook filet mignon without a cast iron skillet, use a heavy-duty stainless steel pan that’s oven-safe instead. I’ve used my heavy All-Clad skillet doing this and it works great; I’ll admit that my cast iron just cleans up easier. Whatever you do, do not try to make these in a non-stick skillet because you’re never going to get the seared crust that’s an integral part of the flavor here.

A probe thermometer helps monitor the temperature of the steaks without opening and shutting the oven and ensures perfectly-cooked filets practically every single time. If you don’t have one, it’s worth investing in a decent one for $40-$50; it will pay for itself very quickly if you oven-roast anything at all.

This recipe is for 2 filets but the technique will work for any number of steaks. You just want to be sure to never crowd the pan and give the steaks lots of space so if you’re cooking more than 2 or 3 you may need to use 2 or more pans. Of course, the garlic chips are optional but they do add a lot of flavor.

Pan Seared Oven Roasted Filet Mignon with Crispy Garlic Chips Recipe

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter – break out the good stuff here; the flavor is worth it
• 4-6 large garlic cloves, peeled and gently smashed (is that a thing? :)) You want to break them up but leave some big chunks.
• 2 filet mignon, at least 2 inches thick
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt (I love my gray Celtic sea salt for this)
• Coarsely-ground black pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°
• Heat olive oil and butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat
• When butter has melted, add the garlic
• Brown the garlic by tossing it around occasionally in the pan with a pair of tongs
• When toasted, transfer the garlic to a plate and cover with a piece of aluminum foil (the foil will also need to be big enough to cover the steaks when they’re done)
• Increase heat to medium-high and add the steaks
• Sear for 3-4 minutes until a deep brown crust has formed
• Flip the steaks over and immediately remove the pan from heat.
• Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of one of the steaks (mine typically are temping around 45-50° at this point)
• Place pan with steaks in the oven and cook the steaks until the thermometer reads 120 for medium-rare (as shown)
• Immediately transfer the steaks to the plate and tent with the foil
• Let rest 7-8 minutes before serving

If you don’t like garlic or want to add additional flavor, toss a couple of small branches of fresh rosemary, and/or oregano in the oil before cooking the steaks. It’s also helpful if halfway through the searing process, you tilt the pan and spoon some of the butter and oil mixture over the steaks; this just helps add more flavor and keeps them moist in the oven.

If you don’t have a probe thermometer, I’ll tell you that for a 2″ steak, the oven time is only about 12-13 minutes. Filet mignon is very lean and cooks very quickly. As you can see, this method gives you a great crust while keeping the center medium rare.

These are also really delicious with a quick pan sauce; when you remove the steaks from the pan, deglaze it with some wine or beef stock or even bourbon or whiskey. Reduce the liquid to about half and add another pat of butter for a touch of decadence. Or instead of a pan sauce, add a little more oil to the hot pan and toss in some sliced onion and mushrooms and saute for a few while the steaks are resting.

I hope I’ve inspired you and made you believe you can cook filet mignon without a grill. 🙂 Enjoy!