Grilled Beef Fillet Garlic Butter
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Beef fillets seasoned and grilled over medium-high heat till just right. Sautéed leeks, garlic, and mushrooms cooked in butter and olive oil create a rustic bed beneath juicy steaks. A twist of cognac butter replaced brandy for depth. Watch for color, texture shifts not just time. Rest meat to lock juices. Swap mushrooms for cremini or shiitake. Butter or oil tweaked slightly for sizzle control. Avoid overcooking or dry leeks by gentle sauté. Perfect mid-week upgrade—simple ingredients, big flavors, no fluff.
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
14 min
Total:
26 min
Servings:
4 servings
#grilling
#steak
#garlic butter
#beef
#sautéed vegetables
#cognac
#midweek meals
Steaks with character. Not just heat, but how you handle each step makes all the difference. Starting cold from fridge stunts cook times but toughens. Let fillets come close to room temp. The crust forms only if meat is dry enough, so pat down. The smell of butter and olive oil hitting hot pan, garlic, mushrooms releasing their earth—learn to wait and watch the change—you’ll recognize when it’s just right. Resting? Don’t skip—it holds juices inside meat like a secret. That unexpected hit from cognac butter? Adds dimension no one expects, turns simple into extraordinary. I’ve grilled plenty, overcooked even more. Timing is a guide, but the texture and aroma will tell you more than any timer. Go slow, listen to pan, eye the sizzle, touch the meat.
Ingredients
- 4 beef fillets about 6 oz each
- fine sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium leeks white and light green parts only, sliced thin
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 tablespoon cognac substitute brandy
- Salt and pepper to taste
About the ingredients
Adjust butter and oil ratios for smoke point needs; olive oil handles heat better but pure butter melts flavor. Feel free to swap cremini mushrooms with shiitake or portabella for more bite or earthy notes. Try leek substitution with shallots for sharper onion flavor or sweet Vidalia for milder profile. Garlic amount flexible; more garlic means risk of burnt bitterness—toss garlic in later in pan to avoid that or lightly crush garlic instead of mincing for gentler release. Cognac is brandy’s smoky cousin—if none on hand, good whiskey or dark rum will work. Salt quality matters; coarse sea salt grinds better on meat surface. If grill isn’t an option, a cast iron pan can replicate the sear—use oven for finishing if thickness demands. Resting needs patience; don’t cut immediately or moisture leaks. If pressed for time, tent loosely to keep heat but save those flavorful juices.
Method
- Lay fillets out from fridge about 20 minutes ahead; rough salt and pepper both sides generously. This temp change keeps center tender, cooks evenly. Pat flesh dry if damp to get good crust on grill.
- Heat skillet medium; drop butter and oil. Butter mellows, oil raises smoke threshold—best combo. Toss in leeks, mushrooms, garlic together. Stir often, but slowly. Let the edges brown lightly, softening aroma grows, around 6-12 minutes. Avoid browning garlic too fast or it’ll burn and turn bitter.
- Fire up grill to medium-high; if electric, preheat at least 10 min until hot but not smoking. If using cast iron pan, get it smoking hot instead. Lay fillets on grill; don’t move for 4-6 minutes. Look for deep grill marks, edges pulling away. Flip when surface feels springy but not soft. Another 4-5 minutes should get medium rare. Adjust if fillets larger or smaller.
- Pull off grill; crucial step—let steak rest 5-7 minutes. Juices redistribute or you’ll lose them all slicing. Cover loosely with foil. Timing here beats any thermometer. Chunk of meat cools, pull test should yield slight resistance, not rock hard.
- While resting, mix softened butter, garlic cloves small dice minced, and cognac vigorously. Heat this just before serving; lightly melting butter wakes up flavors.
- Serve plating sautéed veggies first, soft sheen, salted lightly. Slice fillets or leave whole, spoon garlic cognac butter atop meat; the butter melts into crevices. The warm, earthy scent, slight tang from cognac, the silky melt—it all ties together.
- Best steak you ever grilled? Probably. Try swapping cognac with smoky mezcal once. Adds unexpected punch. Mushrooms can go shiitake too but avoid waterlogged ones. If grill balks, pan sear fillets in cast iron, finishing in hot oven; method shifts but intent same—sear, rest, butter.
- Troubleshoot dry edges? Lower grill heat, cook slower. Or baste meat with olive oil or butter during cooking. Overcooked? Slice thin, serve with extra butter sauce or in sandwiches. Learning the feel instead of the clock is game changer.
Cooking tips
Don’t rush the seasoning. Let salt penetrate meat during rest at room temp—at least 15 minutes if you want a slight cure effect. Getting that crust requires dry meat surface; blot before seasoning. Sautéing leeks and mushrooms low and slow builds flavor over caramelization. Garlic adds punch but burns easily—add it midway. On the grill, temp control is key—use indirect heat if flames flare up or if cuts are thick; flare ups char surface but don’t cook inside. Meat’s firmness tested by finger pressure—soft means rare, springy medium, firm well done. Rest smooths temperature gradient inside steak; cutting immediately floods plate with juice. Butter and brandy (or cognac) make a quick pan sauce; melt gently to avoid breaking. Spoon hot butter over steaks right at table; the contrast between warm butter and tender meat uplifts the plate. Don’t overcomplicate—simple swaps and watching cues beat memorized timers any day.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Salt and pepper well ahead, at least 15 minutes before grilling. Dry the meat surface with a paper towel, crucial for crust formation. Don’t rush this step. You want that tactile spring on the grill not wetness.
- 💡 Heat skillet medium not high—too fast means burnt garlic or tough leeks. Butter softens, oil lifts smoke point. Add leeks, mushrooms and garlic slow. Stir often but gently. Watch edges brown and aroma swell before flipping fillets.
- 💡 Grill hot. Look for grill marks not just time. Wait for edges pulling away, surface springy but not mushy, that’s how to tell when to flip. Medium rare needs practice but feel finger firmness. Don’t poke steak repeatedly.
- 💡 Rest meat covered loosely. Juices redistribute then stay put. Cut too soon, lose all that flavor liquid. Steak temperature drops but texture firms slightly, better slice. Timing beats thermometer sometimes, finger test is key.
- 💡 Butter mix with finely minced garlic, cognac substitute brandy, or whiskey. Heat gently before serving till glossed but not melted into greasy pool. Spoon over steak — butter melts into crevices, aroma lifts earthy roasted notes.
Common questions
How to prevent garlic burning?
Add garlic later not start. Low heat, toss regularly. Crush garlic for milder aroma. Mince risks quick darkening. If smelling bitter, remove pan from heat soon.
Can I swap mushrooms?
Yes shiitake or portabella work well. Avoid fresh waterlogged types. Change leeks for sweet onions or shallots for sharper punch. Butter/oil ratio tweak changes sizzle and flavor depth.
What if fillets overcook?
Slice thin, use leftover slices in sandwiches or with extra butter sauce. Resting helps but thinner cuts demand faster time. Lower heating if edges dry before center is done.
Best way to store leftovers?
Wrap tightly, fridge max two days. Reheat gently in skillet with butter or oven low temp not microwave. Or chill sauce separate to avoid melting off flavors.
