You Can Get Better Filet Mignon With A Simple Trick

If you're a steak lover, chances are you've sliced into a filet mignon in your day — or, perhaps more accurately, you've cut into it with your fork alone. That's because filet mignon is lauded for being meltingly tender, a texture it owes to the fact that it's taken from a spot on the cow that simply doesn't get used much in the animal's day-to-day movement — meaning it remains a soft and tender piece of muscle, rather than get tough and built-up. As a result, filet mignon is extremely expensive, usually one of the priciest cuts of steak you can buy, according to Smoked BBQ Source.

Forever a favorite on steakhouse menus, filet mignon is actually quite simple to prepare at home, and it's a perfect choice for a special occasion dinner. Want to serve a filet to someone special? There's an essential tip that will turn out a flavorful, tender steak that's well worth its price tag.

When cooking steaks at home, many of us are used to the same basic preparation method – heating a cast iron pan, cooking the steak until medium rare, and letting it rest before eating. But with filet mignon, one of the more expensive cuts of steak, it's worth adding a little refinement to the technique to ensure that the filet turns out tender and juicy.

This is where butter comes in. Filet mignon is tender, but it's also short on fat. Because intramuscular fat in steaks typically liquifies as the meat cooks, basting the steak in its own juices and keeping it moist, filet mignon can often turn out dry due to this lack of natural fat (via MasterClass). Because of this shortcoming, basting filet mignon in butter as it sears is an excellent way to keep it moist as it cooks.

According to Eat This, Not That!, the method is simple: Bring the filet mignon to room temperature, season it heavily, and then heat a generous amount of butter in a cast iron pan. Add the steak, and use a spoon to continually baste the top of the steak with the melted butter as it cooks, about five minutes per side. Transfer the steak to a preheated 400-degree oven, roast it for another three minutes, let it rest, and voila! You've got a moist and tender filet mignon that makes for a great steak dinner at home.