Eat Arkansas

I'm about to shove off for Michigan for Christmas, where I will be greeted by "real winter" (according to my husband) and temperatures that I am just too wussy to handle.

In case I don't make it back unfrozen, I'm leaving you with a parting gift of what, in my opinion, is the perfect way to cook a filet mignon. The first time I tried cooking the filet I used a spice rub that was much, much too spicy for me, but even still I couldn't stop eating because the texture of the filet itself was so amazing. The second time I cooked a filet with this method I used a lot less seasoning, and it was still just as delicious. The outsite is wonderfully charred and the inside is melt-in-your-mouth buttery.

Necessary equipment: cast iron grill pan. There really is no substitution when you want to get the same texture and level of flavor. If you don't have one, I guess you can try it with a different kind of pan, but it just won't be the same.

Method:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Heat cast iron grill pan over medium heat until hot, then lightly oil. Grill steaks, turning once, 10 minutes or until grill marks form (NOTE: 5 minutes per side), then transfer to a shallow baking pan and roast in 6-10 minutes (NOTE: I roasted mine for 8 because I like a rarer steak; the second time I cooked the filets I baked the empty cast iron pan in an oven before adding the steaks, and I cooked the steaks for only 6.5 minutes in the oven). Remove steaks from overn and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 5 minutes.