If you are looking for a sizzling, decadent, tender, and juicy steak that rivals any restaurant meal, check out my filet mignon topped with a blue cheese crust recipe. The beef is first, pan-seared in a cast-iron skillet and then finished up in the oven. No grill needed!
Just imagine a butter-tender, juicy filet mignon topped with an unforgettable blue cheese crust made from what else, blue cheese crumbles, bread crumbs, and herbs, cooked to perfection. Is your mouth watering yet? It should be! And, with this delicious recipe, you can skip the crowded restaurants and save money.
Why you will love this recipe:
- You don’t need a grill, and it doesn’t matter how bad the weather is outside. The steak is pan-seared on top of the stove and finished in the oven.
- Save money! This same blue-cheese crusted steak would cost $30 to $40 per person in a restaurant just for the steak. You can make it at home for a fraction of the cost.
- It’s simple to make, and you can have it on the table in less than 25 minutes.
What is filet mignon?
Filet mignon is a boneless, lean, and tender steak with a delicate buttery texture, which in most cases, you can cut with a butter knife. According to the National Cattleman’s Beef Association, “it’s cut from the area below the backbone that is also home to some to these tender and popular cuts of beef, such as the Tenderloin, Strip Steak, T-Bone, and Porterhouse Steaks.”
Filets are cut from the smaller end of the tenderloin, which is the least exercised part of beef, and it’s the most tender and compact cut.
What’s the difference in prime and choice cuts of beef?
In the USA, the US Department of Agriculture has established a grading system for beef. When you purchase a package of beef, it will have a shield or sticker from the USDA, which signifies the grade.
When I buy filets, I always look for either prime or choice. Steaks that are labeled prime or choice are high quality, and they will be tender, juicy, and flavorful. The main difference is in the amount of marbling they have. Choice has less marbling than prime and consequently may not be quite as juicy or tender.
Because filet mignon is so expensive if you are still not sure how to pick out a steak, ask your butcher. They are usually happy to help and can keep you from making an expensive mistake.
Ingredients:
You will need two filet mignons at least two-inches thick, vegetable oil, olive oil, kosher salt, ground black pepper, blue cheese crumbles, bread or panko crumbs, and herbs de Provence.
You will also need a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or an oven-safe skillet and a good meat thermometer.
How to make it:
Before cooking the filet mignon, gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat a large well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or oven-safe skillet over high heat for five minutes.
Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and brush them lightly with the vegetable oil. Season on all sides with the kosher salt and pepper.
To make the filet mignon topping, combine the blue cheese, panko, herbs, and olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
When the skillet is hot, add the filets and sear on the top, bottom and all sides. This will take about 1-2 minutes per side. Be sure to have your exhaust fan on high because the steaks and pan will produce smoke.
When all sides of the filets have been seared, top with the cheese-panko mixture and place in the oven.
Cook the steaks in the oven for an additional eight minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the filet registers 125 ° F for rare (cool red center), 135 ° F for medium-rare (warm red center), or 145° F for medium (warm pink center).
Carefully, using a heavy-duty pot holder, remove the blue cheese crusted steaks from the oven. Place them on a platter, cover with aluminum foil or a plate and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve immediately.
What to serve with it:
I like to serve this dish with either Romaine Wedge Salad with Green Goddess Dressing, or Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Pecans and Twice Baked Potatoes or Easy Rustic Mashed Potatoes for Two. For dessert, I like to keep it simple, and my favorites are either Raspberries and Cream or Chocolate Pudding.
If you need more dessert ideas, check out all of my desserts here, or check out my roundup post, 32 Best Decadent and Romantic Valentine’s Desserts. For more ideas for sides or mains for Valentine’s Day, check out this roundup post: Ultimate Valentine’s Day Romantic Dinner Menus and Recipes.
More beef tenderloin and steak recipes:
If you like this recipe, I know you will also like my easy Filet Mignon with Mushroom Red Wine Sauce, Roasted Whole Beef Tenderloin with Onion Blue Cheese Sauce, and Perfect Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce.
Other popular steak recipes on my blog include The Ultimate Reverse Sear Ribeye Steak, Skillet New York Strip Roast, The Ultimate Grilled Flank Steak, and my all-time favorite, Chili Rubbed Ribeye Steak with Maple-Bourbon Butter.
Sharon’s tips:
- Your filets will cook more evenly if you let them come to room temperature before cooking.
- Cooking times for the filets will vary depending on the size and thickness of the steaks. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the steaks are cooked to your preferred degree of doneness.
- Be sure to turn your kitchen exhaust fan to high because this recipe produces a lot of smoke. If you are like me and don’t have a good exhaust fan, open a window, or your smoke alarm might go off.
- If you are not comfortable picking out steaks, ask your butcher for recommendations, or have them pick them out for you.
- You can substitute any dry herb blend that you like for the herbs de Provence.
- I highly recommend making this dish in a cast-iron skillet because you will get a better sear. If you don’t have one, you can use an oven-safe skillet.
- Try and purchase filets labeled “prime” if you can. They cost a little more, but I think they are more tender and have a better flavor.
★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese Crust
Ingredients
Filets Mignons Ingredients
- 2 filets mignons 8 ounces each, at least 2-inches thick
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt or to taste
- 1 tsp ground black pepper or to taste
Blue Cheese Crust Ingredients
- 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 2 Tbsp Panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp Herbs de Provence or another blend of dried herbs
- 1/2 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Heat a large, well-seasoned, cast-iron skillet over high heat for 5-7 minutes.
- Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and brush them lightly with the vegetable oil. Season on all sides with the kosher salt and pepper.
- While the skillet is heating, combine the ingredients for the blue cheese crust in a small bowl. Set aside.
- When the skillet is hot, add the filets and sear on the top, bottom and all sides. This will take about 1-2 minutes per side. Be sure to have your exhaust fan on high because the steaks and pan will produce smoke.
- When all sides of the filets have been seared, top with the cheese-panko mixture and place in the oven. Cook the steaks for about 8 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the filet registers 125 ° F for rare (cool red center), 135 ° F for medium-rare (warm red center), or 145° F for medium (warm pink center).
- Carefully, remove the filets from the oven using a heavy-duty potholder. Place the meat on a platter, cover with aluminum foil or a plate and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Cooking times for the filets will vary depending on the size and thickness of the steaks. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the steaks are cooked to your preferred degree of doneness.
- Be sure to turn your kitchen exhaust fan to high because this recipe produces a lot of smoke. If you are like me and don't have a good exhaust fan, open a window, or your smoke alarm might go off.
- If you are not comfortable picking out steaks, ask your butcher for recommendations, or have them pick them out for you.
- You can substitute any dry herb blend that you like for the herbs de Provence.
- I highly recommend making this dish in a cast-iron skillet because you will get a better sear. If you don't have one, you can use an oven-safe skillet.
- Try and purchase filets labeled "prime" if you can. They cost a little more, but I think they are more tender and have a better flavor.
- Your filets will cook more evenly if you let them come to room temperature before cooking.
Nutrition
**This post was originally published on February 21, 2017. Republished on February 14, 2020, with additional information, expanded tips and answers to the most frequently asked questions
Question, while your recipe calls for Panko, your photo shows fresh bread crumbs. Which are you suggesting?
Hi Annie,
Actually, those are panko breadcrumbs in the photo. When I combined them with the blue cheese crumbles, they clumped together a little which makes them look like fresh breadcrumbs. Either fresh breadcrumbs or panko would be fine.
All my best,
Sharon