To keep filet mignon moist, cook at high temperature, sear the outside, marinate beforehand, wrap in bacon, and let it rest after cooking. Bring to room temperature before cooking and avoid adding a cold cut to a hot oven.
Filet mignon is a cut of meat that is finely marbled and free from a large amount of fat to keep it moist. To cook the filet mignon so that it is not dry, the oven temperature should be high and the outside of the filets should be seared quickly. Adding fat to the outside of the tenderloin can also help keep the cut moist during cooking, as can marinating the meat beforehand. Traditional recipes like Beef Wellington cook the filet mignon surrounded by moist ingredients so that the moisture is retained within the meat. Once the cooking process is finished, the meat must be allowed to rest so that it is juicy and tender when cut.
One of the most helpful steps that can be taken before starting to cook filet mignon is to bring the cut to room temperature. This will allow heat to transfer easily from the outside to the inside of the cut while cooking, keeping the outside from drying out before the center has cooked. A room-temperature tenderloin can also make it easier to get good medium to rare results from your steak.
To cook filet mignon to keep it moist and tender, moisture can sometimes be added to counteract the dry heat of the oven. A classic preparation is to take each fillet and wrap its outer edge in bacon. Some chefs wrap the entire piece of meat in a bacon plait to ensure that no single part dries out completely, although this can overwhelm the natural beef flavor. Another method is to marinate the meat so that some flavor and moisture penetrates the muscle fibers, which can help if the meat is seared before putting it in the oven.
Adding a cold tenderloin to a hot oven can sometimes cause the outer layer to dry out considerably before the internal temperature has been high enough to be safe. One solution is to cook the filet mignon only after the surface has been seared or introduced to some heat. This can be accomplished by frying each side of the tenderloin in a very hot oiled pan for a few minutes on each side or by placing the meat in an oven set to a very high temperature. After a crust has formed on the outside, it only takes a few more minutes in a moderately hot oven to bake the filet mignon.
When the meat has finished cooking to the desired temperature, it should be removed from the oven and left to rest for a few minutes. This allows the internal juices to redistribute throughout the cut. The resting period is a vital step in the process required to cook filet mignon. For this reason, it’s sometimes helpful to remove the tenderloin from the oven when it’s undercooked, so that it finishes cooking outside of the oven and cooks it perfectly when served.
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