This has become our go-to recipe for a no-fuss simple steak that is just fabulous and goes really well with just about any side-dish. It’s more about the method of cooking rather than a recipe as it only requires salt and pepper for seasoning, and olive oil and butter for cooking. But don’t be fooled by its simplicity as it is just that delicious as long as you use top-notch quality meat. We sear the steaks first on the stove for a perfect exterior crust, then finish them off in the oven to get their centers to perfect pink! The gurus tend to know when steaks are perfectly done by ESP or by the touch, but you can’t go wrong as long as you have a meat thermometer on hand. 135 degrees F final internal temperature for perfect medium rare! You do have to take the steaks out of the oven before the meat reaches that temperature since the meat will keep cooking and the temperature will continue to rise after you take them out of the oven (take out at around 130+ degrees F). At this point we’ve learned our oven and it’s down to a science as my husband Ben says, so we just go by the number of minutes.

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Filet Mignon

Servings 2 steaks

Ingredients

• 2 5 ounce filet mignon 2-inch thick
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

• Take the steak meats out of the refrigerator and allow them to come up to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Pat the steak meats dry with paper towels. Season both sides of the steak meats with salt and pepper.
  
• Heat up an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until it is very hot, and add the olive oil and butter.
  
• Once the butter is sizzling and foaming, place the steak meats on the skillet. Do not let the steaks touch each other.
  
• Sear the steaks in the pan until a nice crust forms all around, about 1.5 minutes on each side and a quick sear on the sides. Tilt the pan and scoop the melted butter over the steaks to baste.
  
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• Once all sides have a nice crust, take the skillet and put it in the preheated oven. Cook the steaks to 135 degrees F final internal temperature for medium rare, about 3 minutes for a 1.5-inch steak, and 4 minutes for a 2-inch steak (convection). Be sure to take the steak out of the oven before the meat reaches 135 degrees F (take out at around 130+ degrees F), since the meat will keep cooking and the temperature will continue to rise after you take them out of the oven. For medium doneness, cook a few minutes longer to 140 degrees F.
• Rest the steaks on a raised rack for 5 minutes before serving or cutting into them. The raised rack helps prevent the juices to ruin the beautiful crust.