Filet Mignon with Bearnaise Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, and Bacon

This meal is not for the faint-of-gut vegetarian watching his cholesterol.  I'm almost embarrassed putting this online, but it was such a deliciously decadent dinner, and people pay a lot of money to clog their arteries at steakhouses, so here's how you can inch your way to heart disease from your own kitchen!

A good steak relies first on its cut, then on its preparation.  You can't go wrong with a filet (cut from the tenderloin of the cow), the most tender portion of meat on the cow.

Woo hoo! Meat Anatomy Lesson!

The tenderloin is typically the most expensive cut of meat from your butcher.  If you're making this for a special occasion, splurge.  Go to the butcher counter rather than the pre-packaged section.  But if you're like me and wanted to treat yourself one night because you walked 1.2 miles (it doesn't matter that you walked to the shopping mall, it still counts!), then look for the discounted meats sold at the end of the week that are close to "expiring" and marked down.  Throw it in the freezer, and you've got nothing to worry about. 

Step 1: Thaw the meat.  Since this is such a good cut of steak, don't defrost in the microwave and risk cooking it a little.  Defrost on the counter all day, or in the fridge overnight.  Trim away excess fat.

Step 2: Season.  Since this steak was served with a strong sauce, a little salt and pepper on each side was all I used.

Step 3: Cook.  I do not have the luxury of a grill, so I utilize pan-searing to cook my meats.  Get the pan nice and hot, a good medium-high setting on the stove will do.  You can lightly coat your pan with oil or butter to avoid sticking.  Throw on your steak.  Cook about 2-3 minutes per side to get a nice seared exterior.  At this point I transfer to the oven to heat through to my desired doneness (rare).  It's up to you whether you stay on the stove or move to the oven, or use a grill.  Just don't overcook your steak!

Step 4: Prepare your sides/sauces.  People often serve bacon wrapped tenderloins.  Rather than wrap mine with bacon, I cooked the bacon and served it on the side.  I made mashed potatoes ahead of time, but make the Bearnaise sauce right before serving.  I make the sauce from a packet.  It's delicious.  You need butter and milk.

Step 5: Plate, add your desired amount of sauce, eat, enjoy the resulting food coma.

Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

My apologies for the extremely long blog hiatus.  Would you believe I went the entire month of April without making a single new dinner item?  Lots of restaurants and boxed meals meant a little neglect for LND.  Now I've got a little backlog from May that it's probably about time to address.  So I bring you: pork tenderloin.

I'm a fan of baking pork tenderloin and then slicing it before serving.  I find the pork remains rather juicy/tender this way, and one of my biggest gripes about pork is that it can be prepared and served too dry, ending up like shoe leather.  Baking the pork tenderloin in its entirety at a low enough heat and not overdoing it is the key.

This meal is rather simple.  Purchase a tenderloin, and season accordingly.  If you plan on using a wet marinade, soak at least overnight (I opted for a simple teriyaki marinade).  If using a dry rub, you don't need to let it sit before you bake.  Place your tenderloin in a roasting pan and heat in a 400 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes, depending on thickness and desired doneness.

Interesting fact about trichinosis: it is actually killed at 145 degrees Fahrenheit, which translates to a medium-rare pork.  But the FDA or whoever is so worried about undercooked meat that they scare us into thinking pork has to be completely well-done to be safe.  I know if I was served pink pork, I'd be a little nervous.  Thanks a lot government scare tactics.  The best way to check doneness is to use a meat thermometer.  Determining temperature based on color and how cooked the meat is isn't the best.  If you're still wary about eating rare pork, let it go to 150 or 155 degrees.  A nice medium to medium well.  The flavor and juiciness will turn you into a believer that overcooking pork is no longer necessary.

Once out of the oven, slice and serve.  I quickly seared the pork slices after I cut them because I was starving and they weren't cooked enough, hence why the picture indicates a charred exterior on all the slices.  Don't be lazy or start cooking this meal when you're already starving.  It still tasted great, but I lost a little bit of the juiciness thanks to my impatience.