The reason I call this a French Filet of Beef is that the French have always used a skillet and the oven to cook their beef instead of a grill or plancha. The bathing with the sizzling butter at the end to crisp up the crust is another technique that I always saw in France that attracted my love for this method. And by tying up the beef doesn’t allow the meat to relax and lose its form looking so majestic on the plate when served (of course, it helps them to cook more evenly as well).
FRENCH FILET OF BEEF
Ingredients
- 4 – 12oz. Center cut Beef Tenderloin – cut 2” thick (Filet Mignon)
- Flake Salt (Such as Maldon)
- 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil (Plus extra for rubbing on the meat) (You can use any oil with a high smoke point)
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (For Basting)
- 1 Garlic Clove – Smashed
- 4 sprigs fresh Thyme
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (For Finishing)
- Chopped Parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Place each filet cut side up on a board and tie around the midsection of the filet with kitchen twine to allow the beef to maintain its shape during the cooking process. Tie around a couple of times, knot the twine and cut away the excess. Do this with each filet. Place each filet on a small sheet pan with a wire cooling rack and liberally salt each piece of beef with the flake salt, both top and bottom. Cover the entire tray with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator for an hour. This will allow the excess moisture to be released from the meat which will allow the beef to create a nice exterior crust during the searing process. After one hour remove the filets and wipe off all of the salt and pat the top and bottoms dry with paper towels. Let rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before cooking, to temper the meat and help it cook evenly.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Rub each filet with some avocado oil and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy bottomed skillet or cast-iron pan over high heat, add the 1 Tbsp of avocado oil & wait until you can see a shimmer. It needs to be hot. Add the four steaks, spacing well, into the skillet and leave untouched for 3 to 4 minutes until a nice crust has formed on the bottom. Flip the filets and place into the center of the hot oven for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and place back on the stove top.
- Over a medium heat on the stove top, place the skillet with the beef. Add 2 tbsp of butter, the smashed garlic clove and the thyme sprigs. The butter will immediately melt and sizzle. Using a large service spoon, spoon the melted butter that has now been seasoned with the garlic and thyme over the top of each filet, for about 1 minute. The sizzling butter will help to form a nice rich and crusty finish to a beautiful piece of beef.
- Remove the filets to a platter or plate that has another smaller platter turned upside down into it. Place each filet onto the inverted plate and cover lightly with foil. This will allow the juices to run away from the bottom of the meat and preserve that wonderful crust you worked so hard for. Let rest for about 5-10 minutes to allow the juices inside to be reabsorbed into the meat fibers. Untie each filet and serve with a pad of butter and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.
Notes
Step 3 is what really makes this a “French Filet”. Basting this cut of beef with the garlic-thyme butter really elevates everything to a level of decadence. You may never want to go to a steakhouse again! That’s what Kim says anyway!
Try this with a side of Gratin Potatoes or Herbed Fingerlings, and Asparagus with a Caper Vinaigrette.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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