Advice re: cooking a 3-lb filet mignon?

[Anonymous]

So I had planned to get a beef tenderloin and roast it in the oven as described here in earlier posts.

Went to Snider's (after calling to make sure they had them) but when I got there, what they had were 3-lb filet mignon. I bought one but now looking at recipes, it seems I should slice up, sear, and finish in oven?

I don't cook meat very often so I am a tad clueless…We have 5 adults and 3 teens for dinner but I am also making salmon (some people don't eat meat). I figured just get plenty for leftovers.

So do I slice the filet up? How thick would you recommend? Here I was just picturing it in the oven as something simple (that takes much less time than a turkey), now it seems I have to do a lot of searing and such. Or can I just cook it like a beef tenderloin (I know they're basically the same thing, but not quite sure about the difference?)

TIA!

[Anonymous]

You can cook it as one big thing. Ina garten has instructions on the food network site. Or, you can cut it into smaller steaks.

[Anonymous]

Filet mignon is a part of the larger tenderloin cut. It's not basically the same thing, it's exactly the same thing. You can slice it up and sear them like steaks if you want, or you can roast it as you originally intended.

[Anonymous]

OP here...Thanks! I am afraid to do the Ina Garten thing because of smoking from oven so was going to do the lower temp roast…will that be OK? And would it help to sear the entire thing first?

[Anonymous]

Just roast it whole then slice thin. 3lbs is not enough to slice into steaks for 8 people. Usually when we get a tenderloin it's 5-6 lbs.

[Anonymous]

Just cook it as you normally would

[Anonymous]

One thing I would suggest is keeping it rare or medium rare, which will probably be easier if you cook it whole. Filet Mignon is very tender without much flavor so if you overcook it, you lose what virtue it has.

[Anonymous]

^^^
Ding ding ding.