Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon Recipe

I'm a little bit of a purist when it comes to steak — I'm one of those people who thinks good steaks need only salt and pepper, and that the best way to elevate even cheaper cuts is to baste with butter, herbs, and garlic. The flavor of the beef is what I'm eating steak for, and the best way to emphasize that is with the perfect ratio of salt and pepper. That being said, I'm never against a good finishing sauce or even a cheesy crust. Blue cheese, a pungent and funky cheese on its own, becomes a mellow and interesting complement to rich and fatty cuts of steak, elevating the beefy flavor in a unique and unexpected way. While you can crumble blue cheese onto any steak and call it done, there is a way I insist on doing it for the best flavor — and a steakhouse-quality finish.

The best cut of steak for a blue cheese-crumble crust is filet mignon, a famously tender and buttery cut of steak that is regarded highly for its rarity compared to other cuts. What makes filet mignon special is its location at the tip of the tenderloin, just under the cow's ribs and next to the spine, making up just 3% of the total animal. To ensure you aren't wasting the precious cut (and your hard-earned money), I outlined exactly how to sear and cook a filet mignon to perfect medium-rare, complete with a crispy, golden-brown, melty blue cheese crust. It's easier than you'd think — so get ready to make date night a success.

The first ingredient you'll need to grab for this recipe is filet mignon. Plan for one filet per person, and look for a filet about 1 to 1 ½ inches thick and about 3 to 4 inches across. For the steaks, you'll also need salt, pepper, and oil for searing — I recommend a high smoke point oil like grapeseed or avocado, but you can also use canola. For the blue cheese crust, grab crumbled blue cheese, panko breadcrumbs, butter, and parsley.

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel, then season them with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, mix together the panko and melted butter.

Add the blue cheese and parsley and set aside.

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until very hot. The oil should be glistening, but not quite smoking.

Add the seasoned steaks and press them into the skillet. Sear for 3 minutes per side, until a crust forms.

Roll the steaks on their side to brown.

Place the steaks on a sheet tray and top them with the blue cheese mixture.

Bake for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve.

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Depending on the size of your steaks, you may be left with extra blue cheese & panko crumble. Of course, you can always toss this (or, ideally, compost it), but you can also reuse it for other parts of the dinner or save it for future dishes. The mixture, which saves for up to 5 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator, can be used on vegetables in a similar way that it is used on steaks in this recipe. For example, you can sprinkle the mixture on asparagus before roasting for a cheesy, golden brown crust on top of the veg. You can do the same for Brussels sprouts, baby carrots, and roasted potatoes. For the latter, roast until nearly done, then add the cheese mixture in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

You can also use the cheese to make cheesy bread. To do this, slice vertically through a baguette or crusty bread loaf, leaving the bottoms attached. In the slots you cut, add the cheese mixture, then wrap the loaf in foil and bake until melty. To intensify the cheese flavor, add Parmesan or white cheddar. To add more flavor, stir in minced garlic, salt, and pepper.

Because the filet mignon is arguably less flavorful than cuts like ribeye and strip, it serves as an excellent base for adding crusts, toppings, and sauces. That doesn't mean other cuts can't benefit from the cheesy topping, though. This recipe can be used on ribeyes, New York strips, and even porterhouse steaks, and you will hardly have to change anything; the only thing I recommend paying attention to is the cooking time. Each cut can be seared and finished in the oven, but (especially for a porterhouse steak) will need different amounts of time to reach medium or medium rare.

For ribeye and New York strip, plan to sear each for just 2 minutes per side, then finish in the oven for up to 10 minutes. These can often be much thinner than filet mignon, so monitor the steaks closely and remove from the heat earlier, if you are in doubt. These cuts benefit from reverse-searing, usually, but with a crust, you'll want to keep the oven step after searing in order to cook the panko and cheese. For a porterhouse, which tends to be thicker and wider than any of the above steaks, sear for 2 to 3 minutes, then bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

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