Beef Tenderloin (Part 1 - Filet Mignon)

Anyone who knows me knows that my two favorite chefs on the Food Network are Alton Brown and Giada DeLaurentiis.

In the spirit of my favorite Alton Brown series, I bought a beef tenderloin to butcher myself.

I will be making filet mignons tonight and a chateaubriand this weekend.

I'm trying to decide between the following alton brown and giada recipes:

Steak au Poivre Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005 Show: Good Eats Episode: Tender is the Loin 1

4 tenderloin steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each and no more than 1 1/2 inches thick Kosher salt 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/3 cup Cognac, plus 1 teaspoon 1 cup heavy cream Remove the steaks from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour prior to cooking. Sprinkle all sides with salt. Coarsely crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, the bottom of a cast iron skillet, or using a mallet and pie pan. Spread the peppercorns evenly onto a plate. Press the fillets, on both sides, into the pepper until it coats the surface. Set aside. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil. As soon as the butter and oil begin to turn golden and smoke, gently place the steaks in the pan. For medium-rare, cook for 4 minutes on each side. Once done, remove the steaks to a plate, tent with foil and set aside. Pour off the excess fat but do not wipe or scrape the pan clean. Off of the heat, add 1/3 cup Cognac to the pan and carefully ignite the alcohol with a long match or firestick. Gently shake pan until the flames die. Return the pan to medium heat and add the cream. Bring the mixture to a boil and whisk until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add the teaspoon of Cognac and season, to taste, with salt. Add the steaks back to the pan, spoon the sauce over, and serve.

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

6 (4 to 6-ounce) filet mignons Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 cup tomato paste 2 1/2 cups dry red winePreheat grill to medium-high heat. Generously season the steaks with salt and pepper and drizzle with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Grill to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Add the garlic and oregano and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in the wine. Simmer until the sauce reduces by half, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Strain the sauce into a small bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids in the strainer and return the sauce to the saucepan and bring back to a slow simmer. Cut the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into small 1/2-inch chunks and whisk in the sauce a little at a time. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Place filets on each of 6 dinner plates. Drizzle the sauce over the filets and serve.

Images courtesy of foodwiser.com, gourmet.about.com, and thewils.net.