How can i cook a nice piece of fillet steak?

[m3jappa]

Have been really getting into some nice Scottish fillet recently but feel i could be a lot better at cooking it. It comes out nice and tender but i know it could be better.
I like mine well done with a little pink being acceptable, i find it hard to tell when its done without cutting into it.

What methods/aparatus do you guys use for your fillet steaks?

[Plotloss]

Why on earth bother with good steak if you're going to turn it into shoe leather?

Fillet has so little flavour it needs to be rare or on the rare side of medium rare at the absolute outside to be anywhere near enjoyable.

Try sirloin or even a well tenderised rump, if you're into cremation you'll probably enjoy it more.

[Coq au Vin]

Good fillet steak? Carpaccio (very quickly seared on the outside and sliced very thinly so it's pretty much completely raw)

[m3jappa]

I know that fillet is meant to be eaten rare but for me its a no no.
The way i have it is not burnt at all, its very very soft and tender and like i say i can have a little pink on the inside. I just find it hard to tell whens the best time to take it off.

I ate a fillet in the USA last year and in terms of taste i have NEVER eaten anything with such flavour, i,m now chasing that taste again

[Plotloss]

Carpaccio is completely raw.

[Plotloss]

Easy way to tell if its done is to poke your steak and then poke your face.

Rare is your cheek.
Medium is the bit under your bottom lip
Well is your forehead

Alternatively you can use the underneath of your arm.

Rare up by the elbow
Medium halfway down
Well by the wrist

[m3jappa]

I honestly do not know why or how anyone can eat meat like this un cooked or anything close for that matter.
Each to their own but my god it actually turns my stomach

[Coq au Vin]

Plotloss said:

Carpaccio is completely raw.

True, it is supposed to be raw - some recipes say to sear it though.

Then again, when was the last time you had a Coq au Vin made with a rooster?

[Nefarious]

Pan-then-oven is a good way to avoid drying out a steak if you prefer it more well-done.

Get a pan that you can put in the oven, and get it properly hot on the hob. Pre-heat the oven to 200C-ish.
Sear the steak on both sides, just long enough to get some colour all over the meat, and then put the whole pan, steak and all in the oven to finish.

Obviously don't pick the pan up by the handle when you come to get it out.

[507bhp]

For a better flavour, try basting the steak in the pan with a good knob of butter towards the end of cooking.

You can also get your pan searingly hot and achieve the desired effect on the outside with fusion. You may then transfer it to the oven so that the non-direct heat can work its way in and cook towards the middle without drying the extremeties as much.

Make sure, as stated earlier, that your meat is at room temperature prior to cooking.

[Don]

I'm with Plotters on this one. Why bother with Fillet if you are going to have it well done.

The key things with fillet IMO is

• High quality, well hung beef that's properly dry (i.e. not bloody) at room temperature
• Short cooking time to just alter the texture from raw to "set". Couple of minutes each side. Maybe three if it's thick.
• Enough resting time for the juice to sink back into the meat. Cut it open too soon and it will just spurt juice/blood and all it's flavour
• Garlic and Herb butter or a Brandy Sauce to provide moisture, flavour and to compliment the beautiful texture of the meat

I quite often coof fillet as my wife is simply pathetic about working round the fat in sirloin, rump and rib-eye.

Now if you want flavour in a steak - have a T-bone. Simply awesome.

[Plotloss]

Don said:

Now if you want flavour in a steak - have a T-bone. Simply awesome.

Or you if you want the best of both worlds, gorge yourself on a porterhouse.

[juice]

I use the Thumb and finger method - works every time.

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/007259the_fi...

[Don]

Plotloss said:

Don said:

Now if you want flavour in a steak - have a T-bone. Simply awesome.

Or you if you want the best of both worlds, gorge yourself on a porterhouse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiGTIFPOusM

[Plotloss]

Don said:

Plotloss said:

Don said:

Now if you want flavour in a steak - have a T-bone. Simply awesome.

Or you if you want the best of both worlds, gorge yourself on a porterhouse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiGTIFPOusM

When I loaded up that video, the advert that came up at the bottom of it was

'How to lose stomach fat'

bds.

[Don]

Plotloss said:

Don said:

Plotloss said:

Don said:

Now if you want flavour in a steak - have a T-bone. Simply awesome.

Or you if you want the best of both worlds, gorge yourself on a porterhouse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiGTIFPOusM

When I loaded up that video, the advert that came up at the bottom of it was

'How to lose stomach fat'

bds.

LOL

* looks down at gut ***

[neilsfishing]

Plotloss said:

Easy way to tell if its done is to poke your steak and then poke your face.

Rare is your cheek.
Medium is the bit under your bottom lip
Well is your forehead

Alternatively you can use the underneath of your arm.

Rare up by the elbow
Medium halfway down
Well by the wrist

No if it poke's you back then its spot on

[EL77]

Olive Oil and Pepper and leave in fridge for 1 hour.

Sear the meat and put in the oven on highest heat for 5-10 minutes and then leave on rest for a further 5 mins then sit back and enjoy with a little more oil drizzled over and some sea salt.

[ed1983]

beef wellington all the way

[Romanymagic]

m3jappa said:

I know that fillet is meant to be eaten rare but for me its a no no.
The way i have it is not burnt at all, its very very soft and tender and like i say i can have a little pink on the inside. I just find it hard to tell whens the best time to take it off.

I ate a fillet in the USA last year and in terms of taste i have NEVER eaten anything with such flavour, i,m now chasing that taste again

I suspect you are using the wrong cut. Fillet lacks virtually any fat so consequently when cooked will go to "leather" before you know it - hence many people here suggesting that you have it rare and to be honest they are right.

Best way to cook fillet steak is to heat up a griddle pan for about 10 minutes on your biggest/hottest hob - season the steak and put onto the griddle pan (should be a lot of angry noise from the steak hitting the super hot griddle).

2 to 3 mintues each side for rare, 4 to 6 minutes each side medium, 6 to 8 each side for well done (but wont be very nice). Steaks don't need over turning, so when placing down, leave for the required time, then spin the steak over and leave for the remainder. If you move the steak about you will achieve uneven cooking.

For steak cuts that you wish to cook longer (so it is not so pink (if at all)) you need to take cuts that have some marbeling of fat - so rump, sirloin, rib-eye all have good fat - when heated cooks into the meat and gives a superior taste.

Tbone (Porterhouse) is another good cut you can technically abuse with long cooking, especially as they tend to be larger cuts and therefore cannot be cooked quickly.