Delicious Reverse Seared Filet Mignon

Delicious Reverse Seared Filet Mignon

Mmmm, Reverse Seared Filet Mignon

So there are many ways to cook a nice thick cut of steak like filet mignon. You can grill it, sear it and finish it in the oven, or reverse sear it. It really depends on what you have going on.

One of my favorites when making a Southwestern Steak Salad is to set the oven to 400 degrees.  Then heat a Le Creuset cast iron grill pan on the stovetop to sear the steaks.  And transfer them to the oven to finish cooking while prepping the rest of the salad ingredients.  That way I can roast some of the veggies in the oven, too.

southwestern steak salad

But recently we decided to try to reverse sear a beautiful filet mignon. To reverse sear, put the steaks in the oven first at a low temperature, then finish them off on a hot grill pan or cast iron skillet. Both are perfection. And like I said it really depends on what else needs to be cooked in the oven or stove top.

I think the reverse sear is the way most steak restaurants do it.

We have really reduced the amount of meat we eat in the last few years for all the reasons, so it is a very special treat when we have a steak. And so of course I want it cooked to absolute perfection. We used Jessica Gavin’s blog as a tutorial and a lean cut of filet mignon and they really did turn out perfectly.

The Process for Reverse Searing a Steak

prepping the steak for a reverse sear method

So you take the steaks from the butcher and wash off the blood then pat them down with a paper towel. Then put them on a plate to let them come to room temperature.

Cook filet mignon steaks in the oven at a low temperature before searing them

Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Then place them in the oven on a cooking rack at 275 degrees F. You cook them until they reach a temperature of about 110 degrees F for medium. The foil on the bottom of the baking pan helps catch any cooking juices and makes clean up a lot easier.

oven roasting the steaks on low heat before reverse searing them

After their time in the oven, you are going to sear them in a cast iron skillet with ghee. You are going to heat the fat in the skillet and sear the meat in it. It may take a few minutes or more.

This process requires basting the steak with the drippings and ghee while they are cooking on the stovetop over medium-high heat.

start the reverse seared filet mignon in cast iron skillet

Then checking the internal temperature of the meat until you get the desired doneness. You want 145 degrees F for medium and 160 degrees F for well done. And a beautiful dark outer crust on these gorgeous filet mignon steaks.

I prefer a medium well-done filet mignon. Because it is usually still pretty pink inside but not bleeding on the plate. They kinda turned out more perfect than I expected!

Again, both methods make the most delicious steaks depending on what you have time to do! Enjoy your fancy steaks my friends!

reverse seared filet mignon

Delicious Reverse Seared Filet Mignons

A reverse seared filet mignon is one of my favorite ways to prepare a perfect decadent steak!

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword beef, cooking method, steak, steak salad
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 2
Author Deana Larkin Evans

Ingredients

  • 2 filet mignon steaks
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • salt & pepper

Instructions

  1. Take the steaks from the butcher or grocery store and wash off the blood, then pat them down with a paper towel. And put them on a plate to let them come to room temperature about 20 minutes).

  2. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
  3. Prepare a baking sheet with foil and place a metal grid pan on top. The foil on the bottom of the baking pan helps prevent the drips from the meat not getting all over the oven.

  4. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper. Then place them on the grill pan before placing them in the oven.
  5. Cook them in the oven until they reach a temperature of 110 degrees° F for medium (use a meat thermometer).

  6. While they are getting the temperature you want from cooking in the oven, heat up a skillet or cast iron on the stove top. Melt the ghee.

  7. Transfer the steaks to the skillet and baste it with the fat and juices until done to your liking. Medium is 145 degrees F for medium and 160 degrees F for well done.
  8. Then transfer to a plate and let rest before serving so the juices don’t get lost! Enjoy.

Want more steak recipes?

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Deana Larkin Evans

You get one life - do your best to ENJOY IT! So hi, I'm Deana. This food blog is all about cooking wholesome real food and developing gluten-free recipes for some of our favorite comfort foods. I had to start eating gluten-free in 2010, then cut dairy and casein (except for the occasional Parmesan) in 2014. We learned A2 casein (goat, sheep and buffalo milk) is easier to digest than the predominate A1 form in cow milk. So we brought back goat milk dairy into our recipes in 2016. Thank goodness, right! So I'm kind of a science nerd, too. In the '90s, I earned an undergrad degree in biochemistry from The University of Texas at Austin. Hook 'em! Then followed up with a PhD in biochemistry and a law degree from the University of Houston. I recently earned a certificate in genomics/sequence analysis from Johns Hopkins University, where I also took a very cool food microbiology course. Currently, I'm learning about the microbiome and gut health. And trying to come up with healthy recipes to feed those gut bugs! #feedthegutbugs

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2 Responses

  1. That looks amazing, and it was fun to learn about the “reverse sear!”

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