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Love-Me-Tenderloin Grilled Steaks

Source of Recipe

From "Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook" by Diane Mott Davidson


Recipe Introduction

"During the blizzard of 2003, when we received a remarkable sixty inches of snow over a three-day period in March, a nearby power line went down. We had no heat, no power, and no water for five days. The axe for splitting logs for the fireplace broke on Day Four. Our youngest son, in high school at the time, proclaimed that as soon as our electricity was restored, he was never again eating peanut butter or canned ravioli (which we heated in a pan over the fire). Jim laboriously shoveled a path out to the unplowed street. Each morning, we had to take our dogs out on leashes, because otherwise they would merrily run over the tops of our snow-buried fences. And in the morning, the scent of bacon cooking on our neighbors' propane grills was agonizing. So for Father's Day that year, Jim received a propane grill. But in the meantime, once we had the power back, I bought a grill pan to make these steaks, as a special treat. Allowing the beef to come to room temperature before grilling is key, as is allowing them to rest after the come out of the oven. You must have a meat thermometer that has an oven-safe probe and cord to make this recipe. (The cord is plugged into the read-out, which is outside of the oven.) I actually use two probes with the cords attached, one in each of the two steaks, to make sure the meat is cooking properly."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 filet mignon steaks (6 ounces each), 1 ½ to 2 inches thick (prime grade, if at all possible)
â—¦ ¼ cup garlic oil (available at specialty food shops or online)
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Recipe

Allow the beef to come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Have your meat thermometer(s) ready. Pat the steaks on both sides with paper towels until they are thoroughly dry.

Heat an ovenproof grill pan on the stovetop over high heat. (If the steaks will not fit in the pan without crowding, you might have to use two pans. Alternatively, you could use a large ovenproof skillet.) When the pan is hot, add the oil. Heat for about 5 seconds, or until the oil shimmers (you do not want to burn the oil).

Lay the steaks in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-high, sprinkle the steaks lightly with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute only.

Turn off the heat. Using tongs, flip the steaks and remove the pan from the heat. Insert a meat thermometer into one steak, place the grill pan in the oven, and cook until the temperature reads 125° F (for medium-rare). Remove the pan from the oven, loosely cover the steaks with foil, and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings