Grilled Filet Mignon with Peppercorn Sauce

Don’t save this recipe just for special occasions, a perfect filet mignon is easy enough to cook on a weeknight.

Disclosure Aspire by Hestan compensated me for this recipe.

What is filet mignon?

Filet mignon is such a beautiful cut of meat. Because of where this muscle lies on the cow, just under the backbone, it doesn’t get worked much, which is why it’s such a tender cut of beef.

You will find the steaks in your grocery store or local butcher cut into thick circular steaks that are about three inches in diameter and 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick.

When buying beef, the meat will be graded as USDA select, choice or prime. Select will have the least amount of marbling while USDA prime will have the most richness and marbling. Because of that prime generally costs more.

You will also find steaks produced from different breeds, such as black angus cattle, like Certified Angus Beef, or Snake River Farms, which is American Wagyu beef. Both of which are high quality and delicious.

Filet mignon vs. beef tenderloin

Filet mignon steaks are cut from the whole beef tenderloin, which is a long, thin muscle. Because it’s not perfectly cylindrical, you’ll find filet mignon steaks won’t always be uniform.

Some may be more circular while others will be more oblong. The oblong steaks are often called beef tenderloin steaks.

Beef tenderloin is a subprimal cut located in the loin primal along the back of the cow. From the beef tenderloin, butchers will cut filet mignon steaks, chateaubriand and tenderloin steaks.

Filet mignon and tenderloin steaks can be grilled up in less than 10 minutes. You can also grill or smoke a full beef tenderloin or chateaubriand, but they can take up to an hour to cook, depending on your grill temperature and whether you’re using direct or indirect heat.

Filet mignon vs ribeye

While filet mignon comes from the loin primal of the cow, ribeye comes from the rib primal, which is located closer to the front of the cow.

Like filet mignon, ribeye is also cut from a subprimal, which is broken down into steaks. Here’s my tutorial on How to Trim a Prime Rib to Make Ribeye Cap and Ribeye Filet Steaks.

Ribeyes are loved by many because they have a higher fat content, which makes them extra delicious. But people love filet mignon because it’s leaner steak that is still amazingly tender.

A 3-ounce filet mignon only has 7 grams of fat. If you trim all of the fat from a ribeye, the same portion size has around 10 grams of fat. But that’s not really an accurate comparison, because many people leave the fat on the ribeye, and they also tend to eat an entire ribeye steak, which can weigh around 16 ounces (1 pound).

Filet mignon vs porterhouse

The filet mignon is actually part of a Porterhouse Steak. A porterhouse is cut from the loin primal and includes both the tenderloin subprimal and the strip loin subprimal.

Porterhouse steaks include a bone shaped like a T, but they’re more than a T-bone steak, because they are required to include a portion of the tenderloin that is at least 1.25 inches wide or more.

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What is peppercorn sauce?

Peppercorn sauce, also called au poivre (in French) is a creamy sauce spiked with brandy or cognac. It’s a fabulous filet mignon sauce, because the steak is naturally lower in fat, so it marries well with the luxurious, rich sauce.

As the name implies, it starts with whole peppercorns. You can grind some with a pepper grinder, but it’s a lot quicker to place them in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin or heavy can.

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• Filet Mignon Steaks: Look for two steaks that are 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick.
• Seasoning: All you really need is salt and pepper. I like using kosher salt and course ground black pepper, because both provide a little texture when the crust forms. 

Substitutions: You may want to try my Steak Rub instead of just salt and pepper.

Peppercorn sauce ingredients

• Peppercorns: I start with whole peppercorns, because they have more essential oils, but you can also use coarse ground pepper.
• Butter: Use real butter, not margarine or spreadable butter. Salted or unsalted is fine.
• Shallots: Shallots are small, mild onions. They are a little sweeter than red onions.
• Beef Broth: This forms the base of the sauce. I prefer using low-sodium broths so I can control the salt content.
• Brandy or Cognac: This is optional, but both of these liqueurs give the sauce it’s classic French flavor.
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is what makes the sauce so luscious. Since a filet steak is more lean, let yourself splurge on the sauce.

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1. STEP ONE: Remove your steaks from their package and pat dry with a paper towel. Season steaks about 30 minutes before you’re going to put them on the grill and leave them on the counter. This allows them to lose the chill from the fridge, so they cook more evenly. I don’t measure here. Just sprinkle until they have a dusting on all sides.

PRO TIP: Filet mignon's are usually 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick. If they're too cold, the outer edges will cook too quickly compared to the center, which is why I let them rest at room temperature after seasoning them. 

2. STEP TWO: Heat your gas grill or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Place the steaks on the hot grill grates over direct heat. Grill for 4 minutes. While the steak cooks, you can also start the peppercorn sauce.

I love grilling filet mignon on the sear station on my Aspire gas grill. It can get up to 1,000F degrees. I set it for medium-high and place the steaks on after it has heated up for a good 15 minutes. The ceramic plates create a crust that is just divine, especially with the coarse black pepper. 

3. STEP THREE: After 4 minutes, the steaks should have a good sear. Flip the steaks over and grill for another 3-6 minutes, depending on your desired temperature.

PRO TIP: The best way to know if your steak has reached your desired doneness is to use a digital meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your steak. Pierce the probe into the side of the steak like shown in the picture. This will give you the most accurate reading. 

My preferred doneness is 127F for rare to medium rare. Keep in mind there will be some carryover cooking, which means the temp will rise a few degrees as it rests on the counter. 

How to make peppercorn sauce

1. STEP ONE: Start the sauce by toasting the freshly crushed peppercorns in a dry sauce pot over medium-high heat. You can do this on the grill or over a burner. Toasting them will bring out their essential oils. 

2. STEP TWO: Next, add the butter and sauté some diced shallots, until they’re tender. Carefully, pour in the beef broth and brandy. 

3. STEP THREE: Bring everything to a rapid boil for about 7 minutes. This allows the sauce to reduce, so it will thicken. 

4. STEP FOUR: When you add the cream, it too will boil. You need to stir it as it cooks, so it doesn’t form a skin on top. After about 5 minutes, it will thicken and coat the back of a spoon. 

5. STEP FIVE: Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in two tablespoons of butter. Oh it’s so heavenly. I could almost drink this stuff. 

PRO TIP: You can make the sauce in advance and keep it over low heat on the stove. Just be sure to stir it occasionally or it will form a skin. No big deal though. You can whisk it away. 

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How to serve grilled filet mignon with peppercorn sauce

After you let the steaks rest for a few minutes, spoon some of the sauce on top and enjoy your special dinner.

I like to serve filet mignon steaks with a robust red wine roasted potatoes and fresh arugula tossed in oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

You can also enjoy the steaks with Grilled Wild Rice Kale Salad, Glazed Grilled Carrots with Orange-Maple Glaze or 15-Minute Garlic Green Beans.

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Storage

If you have any leftovers from this filet mignon recipe, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can save the steak and sauce together or store them separately. I prefer keeping them separate when possible.

How to reheat filet mignon

Reheat the steaks in the microwave, but keep in mind that the microwave will cook the meat, so it will end up being more well done. If you want to keep the steaks medium rare, slice them and eat the pieces cold with warm sauce. Cold steak makes a great snack.

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