Griddle Smoked Filet Mignon

Griddle smoked filet Mignon

Who doesn’t love a thick piece of filet mignon, perfectly cooked to medium rare? In my house, at least, we’re all huge fans. It’s simple, it’s quick, and it’s flavorful. But I’m the kind of guy who always questions my methods, and who likes to step out of the ordinary and test new techniques. For this recipe, I wanted to see if I could sear and smoke some filet mignon on my Cuisinart 360 XL griddle cooking center.

I chose apple wood chips for the sweet and subtle taste they impart. There is no need to soak the wood chips in water before starting to smoke, because the cooking will be quick, and we don’t want to slow down the process. We want a fast smoke release to maximize the taste while the filet mignon is cooking.

When you take your filets out of the fridge, let them rest at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes before cooking. For the meat prep, I wanted to get the best of the flavor coming from the wood chips because it is a quick smoke. You can do this by generously brushing the filets with oil, kosher salt, and pepper, on both sides.

In order to get a good sear, turn your griddle up to high. To check if your temperature is good, drip some water on it. It should evaporate almost instantly. You can also use an infrared thermometer and watch for a target temperature of 400-450 Fahrenheit. When your griddle is hot enough, sear your meat for 1 minute per side to get a nice crusty outside. Once the searing is done, lower your griddle temperature to medium and place the woodchips directly on it. Light them with a torch, then place the meat around the chips and cover with a dome.

Make sure that the fire keeps burning well, but don’t lift the dome too often. We want to keep as much of the smoke as possible under the dome. After 5 minutes, check the internal temperature and light up the chips again. The best range of temperatures, for a perfect medium rare, should be between 125 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Once reached, take the filets off the griddle and let them rest for 5-7 minutes before cutting and serving, to let the meat reabsorb and distribute the juices that escaped during the cooking process

While the meat is smoking, I like to steam some of my favorite vegetables on the griddle with the Cuisinart BBQ roasted garlic chipotle seasoning. This can be served as a side dish. Add some fresh bread and you’ll have the perfect dinner.