Cooking Filet Mignon

!9#: 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.

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

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BBQ Grilling and Smoking Secrets Revealed

!9#: BBQ Grilling and Smoking Secrets Revealed

The art of barbecuing has got to be one of the oldest arts in the world. The first grilled items would have been those cooked over an open fire by the cavemen. Can't you just visualize the first time they found the charred remains of a Saber Tooth Tiger in the forest? They were probably retrieving burning sticks for the cave fire and were enticed to the carcass by the inviting smell of the cooked flesh. In time they would have realized things like: animals were best cooked without the fur, and that meat cooked with certain woods tasted better than those done over ordinary spruce. This would have naturally led to experimentation with other combinations.

Then, one night as Mama Ugh was preparing some wild boar on a spit over the fire, Papa Yuck arrived home with a honeycomb he had discovered. While he was trying to melt the honey out of the honeycomb some of it dripped onto the hog meat and, ---ZOWIE--- BBQ sauces were born.

This experimenting still goes on today almost every time someone cooks over the open fire or in a state-of-the-art barbecue grill. Barbecuing fascinates us, like camp fires and fast flowing rivers. We long to reach back to ancestral times and explore culinary possibilities as they must have been. Today, however, we normally don't cook over open fires. Our venture into the past is usually on an ultra modern Weber that operates on some kind of flammable gas and using a variety of choice cut meats and condiments.

Never mind, the thought is still there, and the competition just as intense, to grill the absolutely best BBQ dinner on the cave colony or in the modern day county.

We spend about 0 on a grill and upwards to 0 on accessories, and then experiment for the most part with steaks, ribs, chicken, hamburger, or pork, to try not to make it look like we "throwed it in the fire for fifteen o twenty minutes and then drug it out". Then we add to the cost of our learning experience every time we fork out another twenty bucks for those choice cuts so that we can eat "primitive".

Let's take a look at what we need to consider before getting into barbecuing.

1.) Before you do anything else think carefully about what you want to barbecue or smoke and whether there is one piece of equipment available that is versatile enough to do everything you want your barbecue to do.

2.) If the grill is mainly for barbecuing, the next thing would be the equipment required or desired. I say desired because your individual tastes are the most important when making decisions regarding food. Do you prefer

wood, coal, or gas grills?

You also need to ask yourself if the grill is to be used for grilling only, or also for smoking meat? Many BBQ's today feature side burners and warmers, and you might even want built-in igniters if you choose a gas grill. There are even grills that are designed with special smoking features.

3.) Will you need accessories for your barbecue/smoker?

rotisserie, shish kabob tools, corn cradles, potato molds, fish and/or meat holders, shrimp baskets, marshmallow and wiener roasting "sticks", tongs, forks, knives, basting brushes, and/or burger flippers, cleaning brushes, scrapers, and cleaners, thermometers, barbecue mitts, hats, and aprons, smoking rack

There is a wide range of products available and it is probably best to do a little research into these areas before you lay out your hard earned cash. I speak from experience when I say that you can easily spend a hundred dollars on accessories.

4.) Once you have the desired equipment you will need to choose the right type of meat or food based entirely on your personal preferences. A few choices include:

steak, brisket, ribs, fish, chicken, duck, or turkey, pork chops, sirloin strip, hamburgers, corn-on-the-cob, potatoes, onions, sausages, or wieners, shish kabob products (meat, onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc.),

This list could go on and on. If you have a food that you like to cook you can probably find a way to barbecue it.

5.) Along with that you may want to put a little study into the types of

sauces, marinades, or wet or dry rubs

that you and those close to you would prefer. This is usually a matter of personal taste but can also be determined by the type and condition of the meat. Especially if you are considering grilling a lot of wild game meat you may want to use special marinades that will keep the meat more moist or even tenderize the steaks from your trophy animal. You may want to cook your baked potatoes with onion, garlic, and spices, or grill your corn in a butter bath.

6.) Then you will have to give consideration as to where you want to use and store your barbecue. By where you would like to use it I mean, giving consideration to anything flammable that might be too close to it and the availability of water in case of an emergency. For storing you need to decide if you are going to put it under cover such as a tool shed or whether to purchase a BBQ cover if it is to remain outdoors.

7.) Just as we do in our kitchens you will want to browse for the best recipes and procedures to produce the best grilled food possible. The only thing left for you to do is to search for and practice with different procedures and recipes, and then decide which friends you want to invite down and dazzle with your barbecuing prowess.

BBQ Grilling and Smoking Secrets Revealed

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What Makes a Santoku Knife Different?

!9#: What Makes a Santoku Knife Different?

Seemingly overnight the Santoku knife has become a extremely popular item in the kitchen. The use of this knife by many of the chefs on the food tv network has added to the hoopla surrounding this knife. The question is why do all of these professional chefs use this unique knife in their kitchen? More importantly what you should know about a santoku knife before you purchase this piece of cutlery.

What makes a Santoku knife different?

First, thing that you will notice is that shape of the blade is distinctly different that a traditional kitchen knife. Unlike traditional knifes the santoku knife blade is flat. You cannot rock this knife back and forth to cut items, a chef must use the santoku knife in either a slicing or chopping motion. This flat blade makes the knife much quicker to use when chopping items and making precision cuts.

Second, many of the Santoku knife blades are hollowed out having the granton edge. The hollowed out blade will reduce friction when cutting starchy and wet foods like potatoes and onions. The reduced friction helps the items to fall away from the blade as the chef cuts the food, allowing for more precise cuts and faster cutting. The only negative feature about the granton edge is that they can be tricky to sharpen. Make sure you use a high quality knife sharpener when sharpening your Santoku knife.

Third, most of the Santoku knifes are shorter and smaller than a traditional piece of cutlery. This makes the knife perfect to use for people with smaller hands. The lighter weight and size will reduce hand fatigue when performing large jobs. In addition, the smaller blade makes the knife more nimble than a traditional chef knife.

Purpose of all knifes is to cut, slice and chop items. The traditional chef knife is slightly rounded and somewhat heavy allowing the knife to slice by rocking the knife back and forth. All knifes are designed to work better when the blade is slicing through not pushing against the item. The flat blade of the Santoku allows the knife to slice with a straight up and down chopping motion allowing the chef more versatility in the kitchen. The versatility of this knife allows a chef to replace many pieces of cutlery in the kitchen and more times than not it becomes the chef's favorite knife in the drawer. Santoku knifes have become popular for many reason, but perhaps the best reason is that they are just a great piece of cutlery.

What Makes a Santoku Knife Different?

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What Are the Precautionary Measures to Take When Using an Electric Grill?

!9#: What Are the Precautionary Measures to Take When Using an Electric Grill?

An Electric grill makes cooking more convenient since it is easy to use and cooking time is shortened. That's why it is perhaps one of the most traditional cooking appliances that can be found in most kitchens. Having such a grill in the house can be quite a good idea especially if you're fond of entertaining friends and having little barbecue parties during weekends. This would also be a nice addition to your kitchen appliances if you're the type of family who loves to cook.

Just like all electrical gadgets however, an electric grill can be a fire hazard if one is careless with its use and won't take any safety measures to prevent any avoidable damage to life and property. It is therefore commendable for you to know the different precautionary measures when using an electric grill.

Foremost in the list is to make sure that the electric grill you're buying has safety as its top consideration. You can ascertain it by either looking over the appliance or checking its parts and other details. During every operation, you need to check first its control knob before plugging it to the electrical outlet. You should also do the same when unplugging it. Make sure that the knob is turned off before plugging and unplugging.

An electric grill utilizes electricity in its operations thus keeping it away from liquids would be best to ensure that you will keep away from any electrical shock or worse, fires. Never try to immerse any part of the grill in water, which is a good conductor of electricity. The same goes for its cord, plug and other parts.
It would also prevent any untoward incidents if you regularly check the cords of the electric grill and its plug for any indications of wear and tear. If it shows sign of impending risk to the cord, have it repaired immediately or replaced as the case may be.

You should also ensure that the electrical cord of the grill is placed in a way that people will not trip over it or some other house pets or small children will have access to it. Ascertain that it is kept in a safe place and beyond the reach of small children and pets, when not in use.

Unplugging the electric grill when not in use is a sensible act that should be practiced. It would not only help you save on electricity but it will also ensure that no one will accidentally be electrocuted and prevent any fire incident. Ensuring that the grill is placed far from any flammable material when in use would also be a great help in preventing any mishaps. This goes the same for all other electrical appliances you have at home as well.

When it's raining, it would be unsafe to use the electric grill outside. Since weather can be unpredictable, ensure that the grill is placed outside in an area where it can't get wet such as placing it under a tent or covered patio. It would also be a mandatory precautionary measure if you will connect the appliance to a ground fault interrupter. This will diminish the peril of shock. Safety should not be disregarded thus these precautionary measures should not also be disregarded as well.

What Are the Precautionary Measures to Take When Using an Electric Grill?

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