Right about now, in the thick of summer, your social media feed is probably loaded to the gills with articles about how to grill the perfect burger, the perfect hot dog, the perfect ribs, the perfect brisket, or the perfect New York strip.
Well… you don’t often see articles about what has quietly become my specialty over the past few summers: how to smoke the perfect filet mignon.
I realize that sounds a little strange.
When you think of filet mignon, you don’t think of a backyard smoker. You think steakhouse. Ruth’s Chris. Morton’s. Capital Grille. Abe & Louie’s. Your favorite local place that charges you eighty bucks for a steak and then asks if you’d like to add eleven mushrooms for another fourteen dollars.
What I’m telling you is this: if you own a smoker, you can make a filet that’s juicier, more flavorful and more tender than anything those places are serving. Here’s how you do it.
Grab whatever cut of filet you like best from your butcher or grocery store and let it come to room temperature before you cook it. While that’s happening, fire up your smoker to 450 degrees and let it preheat with the lid closed for about fifteen minutes.
Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper. I also like to add a little garlic salt on one side and onion powder on the other. Some people add steak seasoning or worcestershire sauce and all kinds of stuff. You do you. I keep it simple. Whatever you choose, the steak is doing most of the heavy lifting here.
If you have one, insert your meat thermometer (that’s what she said haha) into the center of one filet, put the steaks directly on the grill grates and cook until the internal temperature hits 130–135 degrees for medium rare. Depending on the thickness, that’s usually five to eight minutes per side.
Now here’s where the magic happens.
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While the steaks are smoking, grab a nonstick pan and melt an absurd amount of butter. Think, movie theater popcorn amount of butter. This is filet mignon, not diet food. Throw in several cloves of fresh chopped garlic and let the whole thing simmer while the steaks finish.
Once the filets come off the smoker, let them rest for about five minutes. Then drop them into that hot butter for fifteen to thirty seconds per side. You’re not cooking them anymore. You’re introducing them to their new best friend.
If you’re feeling frisky, hit the edges too.
That’s it.
You now have a steak that would cost you a hundred bucks at a restaurant sitting on your dinner plate for whatever Publix charged you.
I’ve made dozens and dozens of filets this way over the last few summers. In fact, every time my wife and I order filet at a steakhouse, we end up having the exact same conversation halfway through dinner.
“I like mine better.”
Because of this, we only eat filet at home and you will too.
You’re welcome.
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Jon Finkel
Editor-in-Chief, Midlife Male
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