Filet Mignon - Restaurant Style

This is the way my favorite steak restaurants cook their filets.  The filets are simply seasoned with salt and pepper, seared in a smokin' hot skillet in olive oil, then finished in a very hot oven.  You will have a juicy filet with a nice crust on the outside and tender on the inside.  It will absolutely melt in your mouth.  There really isn't a recipe here...it's the technique that's important.  I served some of my country style mac 'n cheese.

Ingredients:

Filet Mignon - cut 2 inches thick
salt
pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  In a large skillet (cast iron if you have one), heat olive oil over high heat until it starts to slightly smoke and look wavy.  Use a paper towel to dry steaks completely.  This will help give you a nice sear on the outside.  Season both sides with salt and pepper.  When your oil is ready, add the steaks to the skillet.  Cook until a nice brown crust forms.  See the smokin' hot I was talking about...

Turn steak over and put the skillet in the hot oven.  Cook until done to your likeness.  I cooked my husband's filet for 8 minutes for a true medium rare.  You can either do the poke test for doneness or insert a meat thermometer into middle to test.  Beware...when you remove the thermometer, you will lose some of the wonderful juices.  Put the steaks on a cutting board or plate to rest for 5 minutes to let the juices redistribute.  Enjoy!