Jul 13, 20213 min read

Cast Iron Filet Mignon with Horseradish Barbecue Sauce and Herb Butter

Date night? Birthday dinner? Celebratory meal? Any minor positive happening that deserves to be celebrated? Just because?! I've got the meal for you. This meal sounds fancy, looks fancy and tastes five star but anybody can make it I promise you! Just follow my directions and you're on your way to quite the dinner experience.

In terms of "fancy kitchen equipment" I used a small cast iron pan and an instant meat thermometer. If you don't have these things- while there's ways around using them- I highly highly recommend having both a cast iron and a meat thermometer in your kitchen. Both tools really will elevate your cooking and save you from serving another raw or bone dry cut of meat again.

For this meal we used a filet because we got fancy like that for our anniversary but another lean personal sized cut of steak will do. Just keep an eye on the internal temperature.

We LOVE an herb butter and put it on everything.

Bread and steaks are a must but I even repurposed the leftovers throughout the week in pastas, to sear shrimp in and- my personal favorite- mixed with breadcrumbs and parmesan for an unreal breadcrumb topping on cod fillets.

This barbecue sauce idea came from our favorite Bobby Flay restaurant in Atlantic City. Since the restaurant is closing we quickly had to recreate it at home. After plenty of research I found the key being horseradish cream- something I didn't possess but was able to recreate at home (and even lightened it up a bit with a mix of sour cream, greek yogurt and mayo which brought it tons of flavor).

We can confirm this is nearly identical to the restaurant quality!

Cast Iron Filet Mignon with Horseradish Barbecue Sauce and Herb Butter

Serving 4 Servings | Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 10-15 minutes

Notes: the perfect fancy date night, anniversary or celebratory meal! Serve with your favorite potato, vegetable and bread for the extra herb butter.

Ingredients:

Filets:

4 filet mignon portions (~8oz each)
1 tbsp butter
Salt and Pepper

Herb Butter:

4 tbsp butter, room temperature
2 cloves garlic, minced
Herb medley (like basil, parsley, rosemary, cilantro), finely chopped
Salt, to taste

Barbecue Sauce:

2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp honey
1.5 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp prepared horseradish
1 tbsp lite sour cream
1.5 tbsp plain greek yogurt
1/2 tbsp lite mayo
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

Remove filets 30 minutes prior to cooking to allow them to come to room temperature.
Mix all herb butter ingredients in a bowl until well combined. If too soft return to fridge for 15 minutes to solidify slightly then remove again to return to room temp.
Combine all barbecue sauce ingredients together in a bowl. For a smoother consistency add everything to a blender and pulse until well combined. This isn’t necessary but can help ensure horseradish and red pepper flakes are adequately mixed.
Preheat the oven to 415F.
Liberally salt and pepper all sides of the filets.
Add 1 tbsp butter to a flat cast iron and heat over high heat until sizzling hot.
Use to tongs to carefully place filets in the buttered cast iron to sear for 2 minutes. Then flip and sear another 2 minutes.
After 2 minutes, carefully (cast iron may be hot) transfer to the preheated oven to finish cooking. See below for cook times depending on temperature preference.
Remove filets from the oven and transfer to a plate. Tent with tin foil and allow to rest 5 minutes to finish cooking.
Top each filet with a smear of herb butter and serve alongside barbecue sauce for dipping.