Filet Mignon is, as everyone pretty much knows, the most tender and most expensive cut you can get (I'm not getting into Kobe beef here). It's an extremely lean steak, that some would argue is really lacking in flavor. This makes it the perfect cut for The Picky Eater, who really does not things (especially meat) to taste too much like the thing it is. I know it sounds weird, and it is. It can all be summed up in the now infamous The Pick Eater quote about whole milk: "I don't like it! It tastes too milky." Luckily Filet Mignon does not taste too milky... er, beefy. Unluckily, it is not to cheap either, so if The Picky Eater is getting steak I better get it right, otherwise The Dog Will Eat It and that is some pricey kibble.

Over the years I've gotten pretty comfortable cooking steaks. Whether on the grill, or in the house using cast iron, I am generally pleased with the end result and how easy it actually is to achieve it.

If you look into cooking steaks too much (particularly online) you may come away thinking that it's so "easy" it only takes 20 steps to make it happen. It doesn't. It takes a few steps, and you do have to be careful, but honestly a lot of what you hear about cooking steaks is total bunk.

A few things that I do not do that "everyone" says you should and one we can all agree on:

1. Setting the steaks out 20 minutes in advance to let them come up to room temperature. It's not going to happen. I learned this because The Picky Eater and I usually split a NY strip. After following this rule for years, I went and cut the strip steak in two to start cooking it. Guess what? If the center of that thing warmed all of maybe 5⁰! After doing a little research only, yeah it takes like 2 hours(!) to even get close to room temp (which is only 70⁰ or so). Also, it takes very little energy (heat from the pan) to raise internal temp the 20⁰ or so, but you know what takes a lot of energy? Evaporating water. So, make sure those steaks are nice and dry on the outside and you'll get your even cook and nice crust. Even if you go straight from the fridge to the pan.
2. Don't be afraid of using an instant read thermometer or other probe-type thermometer. The one hole in the steak will not dry it out enough to notice and you'll end up with the steak exactly where you want it. The one exception I would say is, if you are using a sous vide. Then you've set the water to the temp you want and the rest is taken care of. I do not have one of these, hence the ol' thermometer method.
3. Searing the steak is the only way to keep it moist. It locks in the juices they say. I say, no and actually the reverse sear is a great way to get the perfect cook and the perfect crust. Here's the thing, no I do not use the reverse sear in the instructions below. There's no culinary reason for that. It's that I can be a bit of a klutz in the kitchen and if I put the steaks in the oven to cook until they are almost done and then try to sear them on the stove top, I will inevitably forget and grab a 450⁰ handle. It's hard to finish dinner when you're rubbing aloe on your hand instead of flipping your steaks. When grilling I do the reverse sear all the time.
4. The one we can all agree on. Let your steaks rest after you finish cooking them for 10-15 minutes (tented lightly with aluminum foil). This allows the the juices that have been pushed out of the interior of the meat during cooking to redistribute. Okay some will run out onto the plate or cutting board, but you get the picture. This truly makes a difference (or at least it does in my mind and it keeps me happy).