SEASONING FILET MIGNON ON THE GRILL? [moved from General Chowhounding Topics]

[jmo9]

I've always been a fresh ground salt and pepper seasoner for fear of altering flavor too much. Any suggestions for a new type of seasoning?

[jmo9]

Thanks everyone!!!

[itryalot]

Same as many others; I roast a whole filet on the BBQ at least once a year for a party and it is great.
1. Take out of fridge and bring up to room temperature.
2. Rub in some EVOO, coarse kosher or sea salt, fresh coarsely ground black pepper.
3. Occasionally, I will tuck in some fresh rosemary under the string.
4. When you remove, tent it with aluminum foil.
Carve and serve with its own juices OR
Make a sauce - we like a wine reduction (brunello or barolo) sauce; make sure to add drippings from rested meat. Then carve and trickle on some reduction.
YUM!
This works well with a whole ribeye roast too; very tasty and less chance of drying out.

[jmo9]

I'm drooling. thx for the advice!

[hmartin]

hello,
I'm thinking of BBQ a whole filet this weekend. Never done it before. Do you cook it right on the grill? I don't have a rotisary.

[AbdulSheikhMohammed]

By the way... have you considered moving your filet operations inside?

Believe me; I love to grill. But the best filets I've made were done indoors - pan sear to give a nice, firm crust; and finish it off in the oven using a meat thermometer. Gives more of a variety in texture than cooking it on the grill - firm exterior with a "melt in your mouth" interior (and I use that expression begrudgingly; it just happens to fit here).

Plus, you can use the drippings in the pan to make a simple yet delicious sauce.

[jmo9]

I have tried that and we loved it, thanks! so good, but when you have an opportunity to grill outside, it's a shame to pass up. ;-)

[mercuryflyin]

I'm a big fan of keeping it simple. I just rub mine with a little olive oil, then sprinkle on some salt, pepper, and a bit of herb de provence. I let it all sit while I'm prepping the grill, and it comes out delicious every time.

[steakman55]

Not a fan of filets, more of a strip and ribeye guy, but take it out of refrigerator an hour before you want to cook, season liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Make some garlic butter with finely chopped garlic and brush on immediately after removing from the grill.

[jmo9]

ooo, I like the herb de provence idea! thx!

[RMA]

I usually rub the meat with butter, since filet/tenderloin can be dry, and then use a product called "Charcrust" that is available in many retail markets and also online. Our neighbor turned me onto it, and it's really good. In addition to Charcrust, I usually use some freshly ground pepper, salt and garlic powder -- but not too much. I highly recommend Charcrust -- it really adds flavor to grilled meats (I even use it on burgers).

[jmo9]

Sounds great. Definitely will look for Charcrust. THX!

[swsidejim]

The filet is such a nice cut of meat in my opinion I hate to mess with it. I never marinade a filet, t-bone, porterhouse, ribeye, or strip steak, the maine reason is I only buy prime meat for these cuts, & would hate to cover up any of the excellent prime beef flavor.

I just season the steak with kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Sometimes I will add some garlic powder.

[pilotgirl210]

I make a teriyaki marinade of low-sodium soy sauce, granulated garlic, ground ginger, a splash of dry white wine and sugar (I use Splenda). Marinate steaks an hour or two -- longer if you're doing chicken -- and toss on the grill. My dad said my steaks are the best he's ever had :--) I also top my steaks with sliced mushrooms sauted in butter and finished with a splash of Worchestershire sauce.

[howchow]

add some chili powder to your salt and pepper -

[mattrapp]

My standard seasoning for good grilled meats is olive oil, ground pepper, course salt, and granulated garlic. It is hard to prove upon, it highlights the meats flavor, but covers up nothing.

[AbdulSheikhMohammed]

Some olive oil too. For other steaks, I'll usually put some balsamic vinegar in and let it marinate an hour or so... Probably not for filet.

Then again, I don't cook a lot of filets. Overpriced, IMHO. Ribeyes are tastier and cheaper.

Filet lacks a bit of flavor, so I'm muched more inclined to make a sauce of some sort for it. Cream sauces, cheese sauces, and brown-type sauces or demi glaces work great.

[C. Hamster]

Not for a filet. IMO just liberal s and p. The salt doesn't need to be freshly ground, but the pepper is better that way.