Pan-Seared Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon
Taste great, I like mine Medium-Rare and wife likes hers Medium.
Taste great, I like mine Medium-Rare and wife likes hers Medium.
- Carbohydrate 0.388131458299681 g
- Cholesterol 137.43930625327 mg
- Fat 88.3578447303987 g
- Fiber 0.258833330935014 g
- Protein 13.5569331875071 g
- Saturated Fat 37.5669691674475 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (132g)
- Sodium 412.357091675404 mg
- Sugar 0.129298127364666 g
- Trans Fat 10.103039729253 g
- Calories 853 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Trim the perimeter of the fillets to remove the large segment of fat that's usually present. Be very careful not to remove any meat. When complete, the entire fillet should be considered edible without further trimming based on your (guest's) preference.
- Cut the fillets into small, round steaks 2-3" in diameter. Each fillet should yield 2 to 3 fillets.
- Add the butter to a 12", oven safe skillet and begin to melt over low heat.
- Tightly wrap each fillet with one slice of bacon, pinning the bacon to the fillet where the bacon overlaps itself with a single toothpick.
- Add a small dash of salt and pepper to taste on top of each fillet. Flip and repeat.
- Increase the heat under the skillet to medium and then add the fillets.
- Cook for two minutes to sear the meat. Flip the fillets and sear the other side for 1-2 minutes. If possible, very gently nudge the fillets against the edge of the pan just enough to make contact to help sear the bacon during this time. DO NOT squeeze the fillets!
- (Optional) Add just a few crumbles of blue cheese to the top of each steak. Don't overdo this; blue cheese is strong and not the centerpiece of this dish.
- Immediately remove the entire skillet and place it in the oven for 7-10 minutes. This can vary depending on the thickness of the steaks (assumes about 1") and wellness preference. I prefer to eat medium rare for these small steaks. You can always heat them further.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and allow the fillets to sit for 2 minutes before you move them. This allows time for the juice to re-absorb.
- Gently remove the steaks from the skillet, and then the toothpicks from the steak. Serve immediately.
A crisp exterior of rendered pork fat gives way to tender, uniformly pink beef that releases aromatic juices upon the first cut. Historically, wrapping lean cuts of beef in pork fat served a dual purpose in professional kitchens: protecting the delicate muscle fibers from direct radiant heat while simultaneously infusing the meat with rendered moisture during long or high-heat cooking cycles. Mastering this preparation requires strict adherence to thermal sequencing, moving the meat rapidly from a cold-pan melt to a hot sear before finishing in dry oven heat.
- Trim the exterior fat of the filet mignon carefully, ensuring no valuable muscle tissue is lost while removing dense connective tissue that could inhibit even browning in the skillet.
- Use an oven-safe skillet measuring 12 inches across to prevent overcrowding, which allows adequate air circulation when the pan transitions into the 375-degree oven.
- Secure the bacon overlap using un-dyed wooden toothpicks pushed horizontally through the circumference of the meat before seasoning with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Sear the steaks over medium heat for precisely two minutes on the primary side, followed by an additional one to two minutes on the reverse, while gently nudging the edges against the metal surface to render the pork wrapper.
- Rest the cooked steaks in the skillet for exactly two minutes away from direct heat sources, allowing muscle proteins to relax and re-absorb moisture before extracting the toothpicks.
Fresh butcher cuts demand immediate refrigeration at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower and should be cooked within two days of purchase, whereas cured bacon tolerates extended storage windows due to salt preservation. Controlling these variables ensures optimal texture contrasts between the crisp exterior pork and the tender interior beef.
