Main course
Filet mignon
Filet mignon, a 4–5 cm / 1½–2 in medallion from the centre of the tenderloin, is seared in a hot cast-iron pan for 4–5 minutes and finished in a 120–135 °C / 250–275 °F oven until the centre reaches about 49 °C / 120 °F, then rested 5 minutes.
At a glance
- Cut
- Centre of the tenderloin
- Thickness
- 4–5 cm / 1½–2 in
- Oven
- 120–135 °C / 250–275 °F
- Pull at
- 48–49 °C / 118–120 °F (5 cm / 2 in)
- Time
- 20 min active, 65 min total
What it is
Filet mignon is a thick, round steak cut across the centre of the tenderloin, the psoas major muscle that runs along the inside of the backbone. The muscle does almost no work, so it has a fine grain and very little connective tissue: it is the most tender steak on the animal, and also one of the leanest and mildest. The thick middle of the same muscle, cut for two, is the chateaubriand.
The name is French ("dainty fillet"). In American usage it means a beef steak; in France filet mignon usually refers to pork tenderloin, and the beef equivalents are the tournedos and the filet de bœuf. In Argentina the cut is lomo, in Spain solomillo, in Mexico filete.
Because it has little fat, filet mignon has a narrow margin: a few degrees past medium it turns dry and mealy. It is usually tied with kitchen string around its circumference so it keeps a round shape and an even thickness, and cooks evenly from edge to centre.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Filet mignon | 2 × 200–225 g / 7–8 oz | 4–5 cm / 1½–2 in thick, silverskin removed |
| Fine sea salt | about 4 g / ¾ tsp | about 1 % of the meat's weight |
| Black pepper | to taste | freshly ground |
| Neutral oil | 1 tbsp / 15 ml | high smoke point |
| Butter | 30–40 g / 1–1½ oz | unsalted |
| Garlic | 2 cloves | crushed in their skin |
| Thyme | 3–4 sprigs | or rosemary |
| Kitchen string | 2 lengths | optional, cotton |
Your steak: time and temperature
Set the thickness, the doneness and the method: the minutes, the temperature to pull it at and the rest change with them. The same numbers as the tables of Steakpedia.
Estimates to plan with, not a guarantee: every piece, butcher and grill is different. Nothing you type leaves this page. The full calculator, with a timer and a start-time planner →
Method
- Tie each medallion once around its circumference with kitchen string, snug but not tight, so it stands upright as an even cylinder.
- Salt on all sides at least 40 minutes ahead and leave uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator, or salt just before cooking. Heat the oven to 120–135 °C / 250–275 °F.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 5–10 minutes, until a few drops of oil smoke faintly. Dry the surface of the meat with paper and add the oil to the pan.
- Sear the medallions about 2 minutes per side without moving them, then hold each on its edge with tongs and roll it for about 1 minute to brown the sides: 4–5 minutes in all.
- Transfer the pan to the oven. As a guide only, a 5 cm / 2 in medallion takes 12–20 minutes; the thermometer decides, read in the centre from the side.
- Take the pan out when the centre is about 5 °C / 9 °F below the pull temperature, using a dry cloth: the handle is very hot.
- Set it over medium heat, add the butter, garlic and thyme, tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the meat for 1–2 minutes, until it reaches 48–49 °C / 118–120 °F.
- Rest the meat on a rack for about 5 minutes; carryover takes it to 52–56 °C / 126–133 °F, medium-rare. Remove the string and season with pepper.
Times by thickness
Approximate times for meat straight from the refrigerator in a well-preheated cast-iron pan, aiming at medium-rare: 52–56 °C / 126–133 °F after about 5 minutes' rest. Oven times vary with the oven and the starting temperature; the thermometer decides. For very thick medallions the reverse sear (low oven first, pan at the end) gives an even more uniform interior. The full chart is in steak temperatures.
| Thickness | Method | Time | Pull at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 cm / 1 in | Pan only | 6–8 min | 50–51 °C 122–124 °F |
| 3.5–4 cm / 1¼–1½ in | Pan only, medium heat after the crust | 9–12 min | 49–50 °C 120–122 °F |
| 5 cm / 2 in and thicker | Sear, then oven at 120–135 °C 250–275 °F | Sear 4–5 min; oven about 12–20 min, as a guide | 48–49 °C 118–120 °F |
Bacon-wrapped, au poivre and Rossini
Bacon-wrapped filet is an American steakhouse variation: a strip of bacon replaces the string, held with a toothpick, and adds the fat the cut lacks. The bacon is usually part-cooked first, and the edge is seared long enough to render it; otherwise it stays pale when the meat is done.
Filet au poivre presses crushed black pepper onto both faces and builds a cognac and cream sauce in the same pan (see steak au poivre). Tournedos Rossini, recorded in Larousse Gastronomique and named after the composer Gioachino Rossini, sets the medallion on a fried croûton with a slice of seared foie gras and truffle, under a Madeira sauce.
The classic sauce of the steakhouse filet is béarnaise; a red-wine reduction or a pan sauce of shallot, stock and the butter left in the pan are also usual.
Serving
Filet mignon is served whole, one per person, on a warm plate, with flaky salt on the cut face if it is sliced. Steakhouse accompaniments are mashed or baked potatoes, creamed spinach, asparagus or green beans; in French service, gratin dauphinois or pommes purée. Because the meat is mild, a sauce or a compound butter is common.
For guests who ask for well done: the USDA recommends 63 °C / 145 °F with a 3-minute rest for whole cuts of beef; at that point a lean cut like this loses much of its juiciness, and lower oven heat helps.
Frequently asked questions
How long do you cook filet mignon in the oven?
After a 4–5 minute sear, a 5 cm / 2 in filet takes about 12–20 minutes at 120–135 °C / 250–275 °F. That time is only a guide: pull it at 48–49 °C / 118–120 °F in the centre.
What temperature should filet mignon be?
52–56 °C / 126–133 °F after resting for medium-rare. Pull it 3–5 °C / 5–9 °F earlier, depending on thickness, because the centre keeps rising for about 5 minutes.
Should filet mignon be tied?
It is optional but common: a loop of kitchen string keeps the medallion round and evenly thick, so the edge and the centre cook at the same pace.
Why is my filet mignon tough or dry?
Almost always because it was overcooked: the cut has little fat, so past medium it dries quickly. Silverskin left on, a medallion that is too thin, or skipping the rest also make it worse.
How long do you sear filet mignon?
About 2 minutes per side in a very hot pan, plus about 1 minute rolling the edges: 4–5 minutes before it goes into the oven.
Sources
4
- McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, rev. ed. New York: Scribner, 2004.
- Larousse Gastronomique, rev. ed. London: Hamlyn, 2009.
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart. 2023. www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/safe-temperature-chart
- North American Meat Institute. The Meat Buyer's Guide, 8th ed. Washington, DC, 2014.
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