Filet Mignon
Buttery • Lean • Extremely tender • Mild
Scorecard
What does filet mignon taste like?
Filet mignon is the softest steak you can order. It has very little fat, so the flavor is mild and clean rather than rich, and the texture is almost buttery.
What does filet mignon look like?
A small, thick, round medallion of deep red meat with almost no visible fat or marbling, usually served taller than it is wide.
Choose Filet Mignon if you like
- • maximum tenderness
- • lean meat
- • mild flavor
- • easy eating
Skip it if
- • you want big beefy flavor
- • you love marbling
- • you're watching the bill
Where it comes from: Tenderloin, along the lower back — the tenderloin section. See the beef cut chart.
Also called: Tenderloin, Fillet Steak, Chateaubriand, Filet.
Often seen in: Fine dining, United States, France.
How to cook filet mignon
Filet Mignon
Medium rare- Best methods
- Sear then oven · Cast iron sear
- Typical thickness
- 2 in / 5 cm
- Time per side
- 3–4 min, then 4–6 min in a 400°F / 200°C oven
- Rest
- 6 min
- Pull from heat at
- 130°F
- Final after resting
- 135°F
Very lean, so baste with butter while it finishes. A bacon wrap is a fat substitute, not decoration.
Common mistake: Cooking past medium — there is no fat to hide dryness.
What to eat and drink with filet mignon
Very tender, very lean, very mild. Add the richness and aroma the cut does not bring itself, and keep tannin gentle.
Sides
Potato gratinClassic
Cream and butter fill in the fat the filet does not have.
Sautéed wild mushroomsClassic
Earthy umami gives a mild cut the savory depth it lacks.
Sauces
BéarnaiseClassic
The traditional partner: egg yolk richness plus tarragon and vinegar lift.
Peppercorn cream (au poivre)Classic
Pepper supplies bite, cream supplies body — the two things filet is missing.
Wine
Pinot NoirSommelier consensus
Soft tannin matches a delicate cut; heavy tannin would bully it.
Merlot or right-bank BordeauxSommelier consensus
Plush and low in grip — the standard recommendation for lean, tender beef.