Grilled Cowboy-Cut Tomahawk Filets
BY Mitch Barron
Ingredients
2.5 inch thick filet mignon steaks, about 5-6 ounces each, at room temperature
One to two cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
10 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Butter
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, divided
½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Season the steaks generously with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Season more than you think you’ll need as much of it comes off during the cooking process. Heat a cast iron pan on the stovetop over high heat. Melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the steaks and cook each side of the steaks including the top, bottom and sides for about 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from heat and add the garlic slices and thyme and cook in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 140-145 degrees for medium rare. Meanwhile, remove the porcini butter compound from the refrigerator and slice into ½ inch pats. Remove from the oven, spoon cooked juices over the steak and serve with a pat of porcini butter over the Filets and garlic. Garnish with more fresh thyme if desired. Porcini butter compound made previously: Place about 10 whole dried porcini mushrooms in small bowl. Cover with enough boiling water just to top mushrooms. Cover and set aside 5-10 minutes or until mushrooms have reconstituted and are soft. Drain mushrooms (save mushroom water for soups or gravy), squeeze out excess water. Thinly slice mushrooms and and place half in clean coffee grinder and grind to fine powder to make 2 tablespoons. Place butter in food processor fitted with metal blade. Add 2 tablespoons porcini powder, half of sliced porcini mushrooms, and salt to butter. Blend until well mixed and butter is smooth. Using rubber spatula, scrape butter onto sheet of plastic wrap. Roll into log shape. Place reserved porcini slices on top of butter and wrap tightly. Twist ends of plastic closed. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until just firm enough to slice.