Filet Mignon!

Check this out! Grilled Beef Filet with Arugula and Parmesan from Bobby Flay's Grilling for Life book page 160. I started by making the dressing for the salad. It was chopped red onion, lemon juice, olive oil with salt and pepper. Then came the steaks - but not just any steak - this was Filet Mignon. I couldn't afford to grill this for a large group, but for two it was not that much more. Brush canola oil on both sides of the meat and then be generous with the kosher salt and ground black peppercorns. I first seared the filets in a cast iron skillet that had been lightly brushed with oil and allowed to heat up on the grill. Just about two minutes of searing per side, then on to the regular grill grates. I was shooting to grill the filets to medium (about 140 degrees) but remember that steaks continue to cook even after they come off the grill, so factor that in. If you wait until your thermometer reads 140, its too late. I left the filets "rest" under foil for about five minutes and then cut them into slices. You can see from the photo that the filets are juicy with a hint of pink running through the middle. The thing about Filet Mignon is the tenderness of the meat. These required only a fork to cut and they simply melt in your mouth. I also chopped up the Arugula, together with sliced tomato and shaved Parmesan and drizzled on the dressing. One of the very best meals yet on Bobby Flay Everyday!

What to Drink? A gift bottle from my father of Colores del Sol Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina. How did he know this was the perfect wine for Filet Mignon? It was. It had a deep flavor of fruit and spice that was complementary to the pepper spiced filets. Check them out at: www.ColoresdelSolwines.com

My sister sent me a message on Facebook that the Bobby Flay recipes here on Bobby Flay Everyday looked great but were no good to her - because she still would have to cook them. I invited her over and said that I would grill for her, but that would miss the point. We grill not just for the food, but for the experience of grilling. Remember Steve Martin said "You just can play a sad song on the banjo." Well, you just can be in a bad mood while you are grilling. So when you have had a stressful day, a hectic day, a frustrating day - grill that day. Grilling is relaxing and stress free. Grilling is cheaper than therapy.

More Grilling and more therapy to come!

Paul