Method question for cooking filet mignon

Quoted message said:

(Melissa Kraus) writes:

I had a fabulous filet mignon steak with kalamata olive
tapenade topped with bread crumbs at a little restaurant in
Hot Springs, NC on my honeymoon that I want to duplicate
for my husband's birthday. Before I ruin perfectly good
steaks, I want to check out my planned method/timing with
people who have a bit more experience.

I envision a two step cooking process - sear in cast iron
and then broil to avoid filling the kitchen with smoke,
which is my usual problem (no actual exhaust mechanism over
our stove - grrr).

So, I preheat the broiler and the big cast iron pan (which
does fit under the broiler). When the pan is very hot, add
a tiny bit of oil and then the steaks. Sear until nice and
brown on the bottom, flip them over and top with the
tapenade and bread crumbs and then stick them under the
broiler. I have two questions: should I cook them on the
stove at all after I flip them (i.e. will the breadcrumbs
burn before the steaks are cooked to med-rare?). How much
time will this all take?

So, any suggestions?

Fire up the grill.

---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =--- ---= Move UNITED
NATIONS To Paris =--- Sheldon ```````````` "Life would be
devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

"Melissa Kraus" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I had a fabulous filet mignon steak with kalamata olive
tapenade topped with bread crumbs at a little restaurant
in Hot Springs, NC on my honeymoon that I want to
duplicate for my husband's birthday. Before I ruin
perfectly good steaks, I want to check out my planned
method/timing with people who have a bit more experience.

I envision a two step cooking process - sear in cast iron
and then broil to avoid filling the kitchen with smoke,
which is my usual problem (no actual exhaust mechanism
over our stove - grrr).

So, I preheat the broiler and the big cast iron pan (which
does fit under the broiler). When the pan is very hot, add
a tiny bit of oil and then the steaks. Sear until nice and
brown on the bottom, flip them over and top with the
tapenade and bread crumbs and then stick them under the
broiler. I have two questions: should I cook them on the
stove at all after I flip them (i.e. will the breadcrumbs
burn before the steaks are cooked to med-rare?). How much
time will this all take? (The rest of the menu is a
risotto with mushrooms, gorganzola and tomatoes, and
braised radishes and rhubarb custard cake for dessert -
very rich, but my husband is skinny).

So, any suggestions?

Thanks! Melissa

I like this general method for cooking steaks except I use
a hot oven rather than the broiler for the second part of
cooking. My gut feeling is that, if you use the broiler,
the toppings will burn before the steak is done. Here's
what I would do (but this is an educated guess as I have
not made this):

Brown in cast iron skillet as you describe. Put in 450f oven
with a thermometer inserted in the center of the steak. When
it's 10-15 degrees from being done, remove from oven and
remove thermometer. Turn on broiler, spread toppings on
steaks, and put under broiler. Cook until toppings are
browned. Remove and let sit for 5 min.

Good luck - it sounds delicious!

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

"Peter Aitken" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Melissa Kraus" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I had a fabulous filet mignon steak with kalamata olive
tapenade topped with bread crumbs at a little restaurant
in Hot Springs, NC on my honeymoon that I want to
duplicate for my husband's birthday. Before I ruin
perfectly good steaks, I want to check out my planned
method/timing with people who have a bit more experience.

I envision a two step cooking process - sear in cast iron
and then broil to avoid filling the kitchen with smoke,
which is my usual problem (no actual exhaust mechanism
over our stove - grrr).

So, I preheat the broiler and the big cast iron pan
(which does fit under the broiler). When the pan is very
hot, add a tiny bit of oil and then the steaks. Sear
until nice and brown on the bottom, flip them over and
top with the tapenade and bread crumbs and then stick
them under the broiler. I have two questions: should I
cook them on the stove at all after I flip them (i.e.
will the breadcrumbs burn before the steaks are cooked to
med-rare?). How much time will this all take? (The rest
of the menu is a risotto with mushrooms, gorganzola and
tomatoes, and braised radishes and rhubarb custard cake
for dessert - very rich, but my husband is skinny).

So, any suggestions?

Thanks! Melissa

I like this general method for cooking steaks except I use
a hot oven rather than the broiler for the second part of
cooking. My gut feeling is that, if you use the broiler,
the toppings will burn before the steak is done. Here's
what I would do (but this is an educated guess as I have
not made this):

Brown in cast iron skillet as you describe. Put in 450f
oven with a thermometer inserted in the center of the
steak. When it's 10-15 degrees from being done, remove
from oven and remove thermometer. Turn on broiler, spread
toppings on steaks, and put under broiler. Cook until
toppings are browned. Remove and let sit for 5 min.

Good luck - it sounds delicious!

Looks good, but no mention of rubbing salt and fresh ground
pepper into the steaks prior to cooking....You need to have
some sort of preseasoning/rub of some sort...even if it is
garlic salt.

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on
nothing but food and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

"Peter Aitken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Melissa Kraus" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I had a fabulous filet mignon steak with kalamata olive
tapenade topped with bread crumbs at a little restaurant
in Hot Springs, NC on my honeymoon that I want to
duplicate for my husband's birthday. Before I ruin
perfectly good steaks, I want to check out my planned
method/timing with people who have a bit more
experience.

I envision a two step cooking process - sear in cast
iron and then broil to avoid filling the kitchen with
smoke, which is my usual problem (no actual exhaust
mechanism over our stove - grrr).

So, I preheat the broiler and the big cast iron pan
(which does fit under the broiler). When the pan is very
hot, add a tiny bit of oil and then the steaks. Sear
until nice and brown on the bottom, flip them over and
top with the tapenade and bread crumbs and then stick
them under the broiler. I have two questions: should I
cook them on the stove at all after I flip them (i.e.
will the breadcrumbs burn before the steaks are cooked
to med-rare?). How much time will this all take? (The
rest of the menu is a risotto with mushrooms, gorganzola
and tomatoes, and braised radishes and rhubarb custard
cake for dessert - very rich, but my husband is skinny).

So, any suggestions?

Thanks! Melissa

I like this general method for cooking steaks except I use
a hot oven rather than the broiler for the second part of
cooking. My gut feeling is that, if you use the broiler,
the toppings will burn before the steak is done. Here's
what I would do (but this is an educated guess as I have
not made this):

Brown in cast iron skillet as you describe. Put in 450f
oven with a thermometer inserted in the center of the
steak. When it's 10-15 degrees from being done, remove
from oven and remove thermometer. Turn on broiler, spread
toppings on steaks, and put under broiler. Cook until
toppings are browned. Remove and let sit for 5 min.

Good luck - it sounds delicious!

I think Peter's right on the money. I bet it takes no more
than 2 minutes (or less) under the broiler.

Lynn from Fargo

"Lynn Gifford" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Brown in cast iron skillet as you describe. Put in
450f oven with a thermometer inserted in the center of
the steak. When it's 10-15 degrees from being done,
remove from oven and remove thermometer. Turn on
broiler, spread toppings on steaks, and put under
broiler. Cook until toppings are browned. Remove and
let sit for 5 min.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Good luck - it sounds delicious!

Quoted message said:

I think Peter's right on the money. I bet it takes no more
than 2 minutes (or less) under the broiler.

Or (sacrilege!) take it off the pan and nuke instead of pre-
bake, checking temperature periodically or using microwave's
probe. Return to pan, top, and broil etc. Less likely to dry
it out, I'd think.