Cooking Filet Mignon

Filet mignon is French, of course, with filet meaning "thick slice" and mignon meaning "dainty." Filet mignon comes from the small end of the tenderloin (called the short loin) which is found on the back rib cage of the animal. This area of the animal is not weight-bearing, thus the connective tissue is not toughened by exercise resulting in extremely tender meat. This also means that the meat lacks some of the flavor held by meat that has the bone attached. In order keep the flavor, you must cook filet mignon quickly. This can be done a variety of ways, including broiling and grilling.
It should never be cooked beyond medium rare, because the more done it is, the less tender and more dry it becomes and the more flavor it will lose. You should always use a dry method of cooking, even when it will be a quick method. Methods of cooking that are dry are such types as roasting, pan frying, grilling, broiling, etc. Since this cut of meat is more dry than others, you will not want to cut the meat to check to see if it is done. Instead, you should touch it. The touch-method of checking is not as hard as it may sound:

1. If the meat feels hard or firm, it is too done.

Stainless Skillet

2. When the filet mignon is soft when you touch it and your finger leaves an imprint, it is rare.

Cooking Filet Mignon

3. If it is still soft, but leaves no imprint, and is slightly resilient, then it is medium rare (best for this particular type of meat).

The reason filet mignon is often wrapped in bacon (this wrapping is called barding) is because this particular cut of meat has no layer of fat around it. The bacon not only adds extra flavor to the filet mignon, it also gives it the fat necessary to keep the meat from drying out. This is a concern since the strips are so small in filet mignon and they have less fat than most cuts of beef.

What to serve with Filet Mignon

Since the flavor of filet mignon tends to be quite mild, many people prefer to serve it with sauces, either smothering the beef or as a dip. There are many different choices for the best sauce for filet mignon and most depend solely on the person's particular flavor preference. Some consumers prefer to have a certain type of steak sauce for dipping and some may prefer a marinade to add flavor during cooking. Either of these can turn out well.

Wines & Filet Mignon

There are many different types of wines that are good to serve with filet mignon, and determining which one will go best with it depends largely on the flavor of the sauce. This is especially true if the sauce is rather strong, or has a flavor that is stronger than the filet mignon itself. The best wines to match with filet mignon are dry, red wines such as Merlot. If your preference is a sweet wine, you may want to consider trying a White Zinfandel (if this is your choice, though, you will not want to use very much pepper on the filet mignon). If you are a white wine drinker, the best match for filet mignon will be a rich Chardonnay.

Tips for cooking Filet Mignon

-When selecting tenderloin or slices, choose the lighter color over dark red. This indicates more marbling which makes it more tender. This cut is so tender that it should never be cooked beyond a medium-rare stage. The longer you cook it, the less tender and more dry it becomes.

-Use a dry, high heat method such as broiling, roasting, pan-frying or grilling for this tender cut.

-Whole tenderloin is wonderful to stuff or bake en croute (in savory pastry).

-Cutting into the meat to check doneness lets precious juice escape. Use the touch method. Press the meat. If it feels soft and mushy and leaves an imprint, it is rare. -If it is soft, but slightly resilient, it is medium-rare. The minute it begins to feel firm, it is overdone.

-Since the tenderloin has no surrounding fat tissue, it is often wrapped in a layer of fat (called barding) such as suet or bacon to keep it from drying out. Likewise with filet slices. The barding also adds flavor.

-Cubed tenderloin is a popular choice for fondue hot-pots and shish-kebabs.

-To ensure even cooking when roasting the whole tenderloin, the small end should be tucked up and tied or trimmed for other use.

Cooking Filet Mignon

Induction Cooking Explained Part 4 - Cookware For Induction Cooking

Part 1 of this series explained how Induction cooktops use a magnetic field to directly heat the the pot or pan. Part 2 explained the growing popularity of induction cooking by exploring induction's many advantages over conventional cooking technologies. This installment of the Induction Cooking Explained series expands on an issue introduced in part 3 by looking at the types of cookware that work best on induction cooktops and explaining which types of cookware should be avoided.

Unlike gas and conventional electric cooking elements, induction elements do not heat up and then transfer heat to the pot or pan. Instead, they directly heat the pot or pan via magnetic hysteresis loss. While the home cook or restaurant chef has no need to understand the details of magnetic hysteresis, he or she must be aware that induction cooking only works with pans made of a ferrous (magnetic) material and will not work with aluminum, glass or ceramic cookware. In addition, although steel is normally magnetic, some stainless steels are actually non-magnetic alloys unsuitable for induction cooking.

Stainless Skillet

Because of induction's growing popularity, many manufacturers whose cookware is compatible with induction cooking will state this in their product descriptions. In addition you can perform an easy test: generally speaking, if a magnet sticks to the bottom of a pot or pan then that pot or pan can be used for induction cooking. Conversely, if a magnet does not stick to the bottom of the pan, then the pan cannot be used for induction cooking.

Induction Cooking Explained Part 4 - Cookware For Induction Cooking

In addition to being magnetic, a pot or pan used for induction cooking must have a flat bottom; therefore traditional round-bottomed woks are not suitable for induction cooking, nor are pots or pans that have extremely warped bottoms. Several manufacturers make Chinese-style induction cooktops specifically designed for round-bottomed woks; however these cooktops are suitable only for woks and can't be used with flat bottomed pans.

Cast Iron

The materials suitable for induction cooking fortunately turn out to be among the most commonly used and effective cookware materials: cast iron, carbon steel and some stainless steel. The first of these types, cast iron, is a very traditional type of cookware and is well suited for a wide range of applications. Cast iron has a high heat capacity compared to many other cookware materials, so cast iron pots and pans tend to be relatively slow to heat up and, once heated, tend to hold heat longer once the heat source is removed. This property is advantageous for many types of cooking (for example, non-enameled cast iron skillets excel at browning and searing meat because of this property), but cast iron cookware is not ideally suited for dishes that require rapid temperature changes. Also, cast iron cookware must be seasoned to protect against rust, to prevent acidic food from reacting with the cookware, and to prevent food from sticking (a well seasoned cast iron pan is almost as stick resistant as a modern "non-stick" pan) and care must be taken when cleaning cast iron cookware not to remove the seasoning.

Enameled Cast Iron

In addition to the plain cast iron cookware discussed above, several manufacturers produce enameled cast iron cookware. The enamel coating means that the cookware:
does not have to be seasoned is fairly easy to clean will not react with acidic foods.

Furthermore, enameled cookware is attractive because the enamel coating is typically available in a variety of bright colors. However, enameled cookware does not do a good job of browning food and the enamel is subject to damage if the cookware is dropped or heated to an extreme temperature. Both enameled and plain cast iron work well with induction cooktops.

Carbon Steel

Carbon steel is common in woks used for Asian-style stir-fry cooking but is otherwise not commonly used for cookware in the U.S. Like cast iron, carbon steel must be seasoned to reduce sticking, rusting and to prevent food from reacting with the cookware. Also like cast iron, once properly seasoned, carbon steel is almost as stick-resistant as modern non-stick cookware. Flat bottomed carbon steel cookware works well with induction cooktops; however round-bottomed woks will work only with specially designed Chinese style induction cookers.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel actually refers to a family of steel alloys. To be called stainless steel, an alloy must contain a minimum of 10.5% chromium, and it is chromium that causes stainless steel to be resistant to rusting. Many stainless steels contain other metals such as nickel as well. Nickel adds additional corrosion resistance, hardness and durability to stainless steel; therefore it is common in cookware. Unfortunately, stainless steel containing nickel is usually non-magnetic; therefore some stainless steel cookware is not suitable for induction cooking. When purchasing stainless steel cookware for induction cooking, you should look for a statement from the manufacturer or retailer indicating that the cookware is induction-ready. Alternatively, you can test the cookware with a magnet.

Clad Stainless Steel

In addition to frequently being non-magnetic, stainless steel's thermal properties are not well suited for cookware (inductive or otherwise); carbon steel and cast iron both conduct heat much better than does stainless steel. Interestingly, the cookware materials with the best thermal conductivity, aluminum and copper, are non-magnetic and are both quite reactive, so there is really no one material that is ideal for induction cookware. However stainless-steel clad cookware, the fourth type of induction-ready cookware, is made from several different types of metals resulting in cookware that has the desirable properties of each.

Typically, clad cookware has outer layers of nickel stainless steel for durability, non-reactivity and for its shiny luster, an inner layer of either iron, carbon steel or magnetic stainless steel and another inner layer of either aluminum or copper for its high conductivity (the goal of this layer is to conduct heat evenly across the surface of the pan bottom for even heating). Some clad cookware will utilize magnetic stainless steel for the outside layer of the pan bottom rather than cladding the bottom in nickel stainless steel; this eliminates 1 layer while retaining all of the important properties of clad cookware. Because clad cookware has the best properties of several different materials, it is an excellent choice for induction cookware. There are several excellent high-end brands of clad cookware and numerous less expensive brands.

Waterless Cookware

One excellent choice for clad induction compatible cookware is multi-ply surgical stainless steel cookware marketed as waterless cookware. Even if you do not intend to use waterless cooking techniques, many of the same properties that make cookware well suited for waterless cooking also make it suitable for induction cooking. Just make sure that one of the layers in the multi-ply cookware is magnetic as this will not always be the case.

Non-Stick Cookware

Lastly, some but not all non-stick cookware is induction-ready. When buying non-stick cookware, use the same rule as when buying stainless cookware. If you are buying the cookware in a store and have physical access to it, then you can use the magnet test; the cookware is induction ready if and only if a magnet sticks to the bottom. If you don't have physical access, then unless the merchant or manufacturer states that the pan is induction ready, you should not purchase the pan for use with an induction cooktop.

You can leverage the advantages of induction cooking provided you have the right kind of cookware, as described in this article. Future installments of the Induction Cooking Explained series will take a closer look at why induction cooking is more environmentally friendly that other cooking techniques and will describe some of the advanced features available on induction cooktops.

Induction Cooking Explained Part 4 - Cookware For Induction Cooking

Ultimate Cooking Portability - Cobb BBQs

Have you ever been cooking and wanted to cook an excellent meal, but didn't have what you needed to do so? You know, like an oven, stove and grill in one? If so, then the Cobb BBQ is right for you. This unique portable grill allows you to barbeque, grill, back, smoke, broil, fry and warm food. Not only are the convenient, but they are healthy as well.

If you have an RV, camper, boat or even an apartment balcony you will find that the Cobb BBQ adds spice and flavor to your cooking options. When you are at a campsite your cooking options are often limited to the fire pit, a grate and maybe a skillet. Camping is fun, but you can't bring your whole kitchen with you. Portable grills or party grills are handy as well, but it can be difficult to cook a wide variety of meals on a grill. You are pretty limited by space when it comes to your cooking options.

Stainless Skillet

The Cobb BBQ grill includes a heavy-duty carrying bag as well as a cookbook filled with dining options. The great thing is that you can cook a wide variety of goods in just this one cooking system. The innovative design of this grill works just like a convection oven. Imagine having pizza for dinner at your campsite, or the park and anywhere else you travel. The base of the grill is cool to the touch, which makes it safe when kids and pets are around. The grill is also healthy as the fat and oil drop down onto the charcoal. This means that there are no smoke flare-ups either. Don't judge this grill by size alone either. The Cobb can easily cook for 4 to 6 people.

Ultimate Cooking Portability - Cobb BBQs

The Cobb Premier Grill is the latest addition to the Cobb Cooking System. This grill is all stainless steel and is virtually indestructible. The grill allows you to cook a large amount of food on a portable grill. Your veggies can be cooked right along with the meats, roasts, steaks, burgers, and fish. You can even cook whole chickens and turkeys! The surface is non-stick and extremely high quality.

This is one of the most unique grills on the market. It is very easy to operate and you can pick it up and move around if you need to. The cooking area is around 12 inches, but you can cook a whole lot more than you realize. It is also able to run for up to three hours on as few as 8 briquettes. If you are looking for versatility in your backyard or at the campsite, this is the grill for you.

Ultimate Cooking Portability - Cobb BBQs

Electric Skillet - The Versatile One-Dish Cooking Appliance

Prepare a complete array of simple snacks to complete meals with the versatility of an electric skillet (also referred to as an electric frying pan).

Use it to grill, stew, roast, and fry or bake such hearty feasts to lights snacks as crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, and grilled sandwiches, hamburgers to pancakes, casseroles to streaks, fish fillets, and fried chicken pieces to cooking up a complete roast.

Stainless Skillet

Solid and dependable, an electric skillet constructed in stainless steel or warp-proof cast aluminum, offers a nonstick finish on the inside and out, and generously sized at 18 to 22-inch in length to prepare with ease a delightful selection of meals at home.

Electric Skillet - The Versatile One-Dish Cooking Appliance

One-dish skillets come outfitted with such common features as a master heat-control to maintain accurate temperature reading, a high domed glass lip for ease in viewing food, stay-cool side handles and lid knob for safety in handling and lifting, and a drain to eliminate excess grease for a more healthy cooking experience.

In addition to its use as a multi-purpose cooking appliance, a skillet or fry pan of this nature offers a further use as a buffet server for parties or family gatherings with its abilities to keep foods hot and ready to serve up for an extended period of time.

Cooking up mouth-watering meals with one of these one-dish appliances is made that much easier with assistance of one of the many recipe books containing hundreds of varied and tantalizing dishes based on meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables, eggs, and cheese.

All in all, a multiuse electric skillet, with its ease in baking, frying, grilling or roasting, offers a complete and professional cooking appliance to cook up a perfect lunch, dinner or breakfast.

Electric Skillet - The Versatile One-Dish Cooking Appliance