Beef Tenderloin Steaks

Beef tenderloin steaks (some people call them filet mignon) sound like an expensive luxury. Stores sell them for $16.99 a pound. But you don't need to pay that much to enjoy beef tenderloin. If you buy an entire tenderloin, (also called a pismo) you can have a tenderloin steak as low as for $4.99 a pound. You can cut your tenderloin into 1 ½ inch steaks. Below is my recipe for cooking those steaks.

Ingredients

beef tenderloin steak (1 ½ inch thick)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

ground cumin (optional)

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon canola or olive (not extra virgin) oil

Take your steaks out of the fridge and bring them to room temperature before cooking. Then melt the butter in a wide saute or frying pan over. You want something wide so you can flip your steaks easily. Add your oil. The reason for the oil is to raise the smoke point of the butter so that it won't burn. Season your steaks with salt, pepper, and cumin (optional). If you really like a lot of pepper you can crack some into a pie pan and completely cover each steak by placing each side down into the pan. This is what Alton Brown did in the Good Eats episode, Tender is the Loin.

Now set your burner to medium to medium high and using tongs place each steak into the pan. Cook about 4-5 minutes and then flip them and cook them another 4-5 minutes. You can use a instant read thermometer to test if your steak are done to your liking. It may take a few times to determine how many minutes for each side for you as the conditions of your kitchen, your stove top, and pan can all affect how long it takes to finish your steak. Let your steaks rest for 5 minutes before cutting and enjoying your luxury.