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

The Best Cooking Knives For the Money

Cooking is an art, and as with all art forms when cooking you need the proper tools. Most importantly you need quality, comfortable knives. A properly balanced, sharp, comfortable knife makes the whole cooking experience more enlightening, relaxing, and fun. There is no greater frustration then cutting a tomato with a dull knife; the slices turn out deformed, and uneven. On the other hand you can't describe the pleasure of effortlessly cutting a zucchini, while with the added bonus of developing your knife technique. A knife can make a big difference in the kitchen, so how do you choose one.
Not all knives are created equal. There are various styles, shapes, and specific uses for knives. The most common and most important knife is the chef knife. The chef knife needs to have heft so it can cut through chicken bones, good balance for maneuverability, and off course a sharp edge. It is also preferential that it be made out of high carbon stainless-steel, and be cut out of one piece. Another popular knife is the Santoku knife. The santoku knife is Japanese variant on the chef knife. It is used primarily to cut vegetables and fruits.
Now you probably heard of the big knife companies, Wusthof, and Henckels. You also probably know that they cost a lot for the real deal. A knife made by either of those companies will cost at least $50 dollars and can go up to $100. Keep in mind they have cheaper versions, but those versions are made in china and not in Germany or Spain.
So what knife you should get, the answer is simple. Victorinox. That company might be familiar to you because this is the same company that produces the Swiss army knife. Victorinox manufactures all their knives in Switzerland, no exception. Their chef knife was rated best by cooks illustrated. Best of all it costs under $30.
I can personally testify that these knives are great. So far I have bought four knifes. One chef knife, two santoku knives (I use one for fish), and one utility knife. All of them are great.