Recipe Background
Pan-seared filets boast an elegant garlic-herb butter, ideal for celebrations.
When I finally landed my first teaching position, after years of slogging through long nights of grad school and substitute teaching, a celebration was in order. My family knew the perfect way to mark the occasion: a dinner that spoke of success and simplicity. Enter the pan-seared filets, a dish that signifies something special without spending hours at the stove. It was the centerpiece of a dinner with my family, a culinary high-five after a marathon of patience and perseverance.
The beauty of this recipe lies in its elegant flavors. Rich beef tenderloin complemented by a garlic-herb butter that includes chopped rosemary and tarragon, both fresh and aromatic. I learned from my grandmother to always let the steaks sit at room temperature before cooking, ensuring they sear evenly in the pan. Remember to add the butter right when the steaks are nearly done. It infuses them with unmatched flavor, drawing out the tender, juicy nature of the meat. Swirling the oil evenly across the bottom of a cast-iron skillet ensures the perfect sear and gives the meat a golden crust that's as satisfying as stepping into a classroom full of eager faces for the first time.
It's a dish that feels as good to make as it does to eat, each bite a reminder that dedication pays off. Sharing this meal with my family was a wonderful way to cap off the day and has become a tradition we greet every new milestone with. After all, nothing says congratulations quite like a perfectly cooked steak, generously seasoned with salt, pepper, and care.
Ingredients
For the garlic-herb butter:
- 1/2 stick butter softened
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic minced
For the steaks:
- 4 (10-ounce 1 1/2-2-inch-thick) beef tenderloin filets
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
Directions
- In a bowl, add the butter, the rosemary, the tarragon, and the garlic and mash until fully mixed.
- Transfer the garlic-herb butter to the refrigerator.
- Let the steaks come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 415 degrees F.
- Season the steaks generously with the salt and the black pepper.
- In an ovenproof cast-iron skillet over high heat, add the oil. Make sure to swirl the pan to evenly spread the oil across the bottom of the entire pan.
- One the oil is smoking hot, add the steaks and let cook, undisturbed, until golden and seared on the bottom, about 2 minutes.
- Flip the steaks and cook, undisturbed, until golden and seared on the bottom, about 2 minutes.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of the garlic-herb butter to the pan and return the remaining garlic-herb butter to the refrigerator.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the steaks are about 5 degrees F shy of your intended level of doneness, about 4 minutes for rare at 120 degrees F, about 5-6 minutes for medium-rare at 130 degrees F, and about 6-7 minutes for medium at 140 degrees F.
- Transfer the skillet from the oven and spoon the pan drippings over the steaks.
- Transfer the steaks to a plate and let them rest until the steaks reach the ideal internal temperature for your intended doneness, 125 degrees F for rare, 135 degrees F for medium-rare, and 145 degrees F for medium, about 5-10 minutes.
- While the steaks rest, transfer the garlic-herb butter mixture from the refrigerator and let it soften slightly at room temperature.
- Serve the steaks topped with the garlic-herb butter.
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