My father has passed on many different traits to his children.
To Patrick, his charisma and drive.
To Jack, his tender heart.
To Max, his...his...
Okay, Max is just not intelligent. But I love him more than any dog in the world. He ate my shoes last time I came out to SoCal and it didn't affect our relationship at all.
I'm sure that I have many traits that mirror my father's, but the one that really surpasses them all is my ability to cook a steak.
And I don't mean just slapping something on the grill. I mean a filet mignon.
So if you need just the right thing to pick up your Saturday-or if you've been extremely difficult to live with and need to make it up to your husband-give this a try. I know the words "filet mignon" ring like this in your mind:
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Absolutely not! Trust me, if I couldn't find an affordable filet, I wouldn't be cookin' it! I'm going to pair this with crash potatoes, which are super easy and super tasty. This is a recipe for 2, so go ahead and add as much as you need to make it applicable for your group size.
Let's do it!
What you'll need:
2 filets with bacon (we'll get to different options in a second), seasoning salt, a few red potatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.
That's it, folks.
Let's go over which filet to choose. Now, I am no beef connoisseur, so I get this beauty. Yes, it's pre-packaged. But I've used these time and time again, and they turn out phenomenal. If you're not into that, go ahead and pick up fresh filet at your local grocery store and some bacon. Make sure the bacon is uncooked and is wrapped around the filet and secured with a toothpick.
But I don't have to worry about that. Ledbetter does it for me.
Go ahead and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Throw two baking dishes in there to warm up (only do two if you're making the crash potatoes as well). Then go ahead and grab a pan and heat it up on the stove top. Add a little olive oil until it's nice and steamy.
It's time to give the meat a little TLC. Add some Lawry's seasoning salt and any steak rub you might find in your cabinet. Salt and pepper do just fine, too.
Now place the filets in the pan and let it sit for about 2.5 minutes. I've heard an old trick is to let it sit until you can lift it (with tongs) without it sticking to the pan. If it sticks even a little, it's not ready.
Just use your mojo and go with the flow.
I cover the pan with a lid. To be honest, I don't know if it does anything or helps the process at all, but that's how dad taught me.
I'm a creature of habit.
Now flip the filets and let 'em sit for another couple of minutes.
Once the steak is all panned out (hahaha, I'm so funny), open the oven and toss them on the heated baking sheet.
This is the perfect opportunity for you bask in the knowledge that you paid only about $6 for this meal when it would have easily cost you $25 in a restaurant.
Back to reality.
How long you leave it in the oven is up to your taste in meat. Me? I prefer a hamburger-like texture. Tim likes it medium-well. My father in law likes it still moo-ing. The typical time-table is between 6-9 minutes. Just remember, you can always put it back in the oven for more time, but once it's overcooked, you just have to send it to me and call Domino's. For Tim's steak, I normally do about 7 minutes and check the inside.
Now onto the potatoes. This does not get any easier, and it's very similar to breakfast potatoes.
Throw them into salted boiling water and let them sit until they're mushy gushy, which is about 15-20 minutes. I start doing this waaaayyyyy before I work on the steak to time it perfectly. And I keep on the skin. That's important.
Once they're soft, I grab the unused baking sheet from the hot oven and apply olive oil to the bottom.
Mash 'em up nice and good on the sheet. Add some minced garlic, the herbs of your choice (I use basil and rosemary), and brush olive oil over the top.
Throw them into the oven for about 15 minutes at the same temperature as the filets (about 375). They come out just glorious.
Grab a salad or another vegetable, some fresh bread, and you're ready for the easiest, fanciest under $10 meal ever!
Have a great weekend!
Rachael