So you bought a beautiful cut filet mignon, and now you want to know how long to grill filet mignon on outdoor gas grill. I'll tell you one thing right away – if you're not 100% sure, that's a good thing to do the research you're doing. The last thing you want to do is to ruin such a delicious piece of meat such as this. Of course, this is coming from a very biased point of view as a filet mignon grilled outside, whether on a gas grill, charcoal grill or natural wood burning grill has got to be one of my favorite meals of all time. Plus, I'm sure that when you're paying whatever it is you paid for this piece of meat (a pretty penny, no doubt), the last thing you want to do is to mess it up. The techniques you need to know regarding grilling filet mignon on outdoor gas grill.
The first thing to consider is how you like your meat cooked. Typically, a filet mignon is cooked medium rare to medium. Purists will even say that simply searing the outside in presenting it rare is the only way to go. Clearly many people aren't comfortable with this, so we'll look at cooking it a bit more than this. Also, in the event you like your meat cooked more on the medium well to well side, you'll need to know Butterfly to meet before cooking. This is the only way with such a thick cut of meat to avoid the pinkness associated with anything less than medium-well.
It is recommended that you let the meat come up to around room temperature before cooking it. While you are allowing it to warm up a little, you might sprinkle some salt on it (either sea salt or good quality Kosher salt). Some people also pre-rub it with a little bit of good quality olive oil, then assaults, and let it sit for 15 minutes or so. Salting estate before cooking helps to add flavor to it and it will not, as some people suggest, draw moisture out and cause your state to be tough.
Because a fillet is such a thick piece of meat, you won't want to cook it on high heat the entire time. In fact, some people only use a low to medium heat for cooking. On the other hand, some people prefer a very high heat initially to sear the outside, and only then turn the heat down for the remainder of the cooking time. One method to remember when using this approach is the 2-2-4-4. This stands for two minutes on one side and very high heat, followed by two minutes on the other side at the same high heat. Then, turning the steak over again, four minutes per side on medium to low heat.
A good indication for when to turn the steak is when you begin to see the blood rising and seeping out of the top. At this point, flip the steak over and wait to see the same thing on the second side (remember, this is after you've already seared the meat on each side). When you see the blood seeping through the top of the second side, it's done. Remember too, we're talking about cooking this filet mignon to the medium-rare to medium level of doneness, and with a piece of meat that's at least one 1/2 to 2 inches thick. Obviously thinner cuts will cook much faster.
When using an outdoor gas grill, one of the benefits is the ability to quickly and easily control the heat. Were you to use a charcoal grill, you would need to make sure you have enough for a to have the very hot coals on one side and just a medium heat on the other. Otherwise, you'll need to have a way to raise and lower the grill to control the heat level. So while I absolutely love natural wood-burning grills and charcoal grills, when it comes to cooking my filet mignon at home, the outdoor gas grill is by far my favorite method.
