The whole filet or chateaubriand as I knew it growing up was the fancy dish served at high-end hotel restaurants or country clubs, not that I frequented either very much. With French origins (but of course), the Larousse Gastronomique indicates that the dish chateaubriand was created by the namesake’s personal chef, Montmireil, for the Vicomte, François-René de Chateaubriand, at that time (1822) Ambassador of France in England.
This cut of meat and meal has become one of my signature and celebratory dishes, which I like to cook for birthdays or other similar, significant events. My preparation involves marinating the whole filet in a bath of Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce, which one can find at Costco in large bottles, which are perfect for marinating. In addition to the Yoshidas, I finely chop the fresh rosemary, adding it to the marinade. The rosemary must be fresh and must be finely chopped to fully extract the essence of the herb into the meat. I then grill the filet whole, cooking slowly, using my Thermopen to ensure that the middle will be a perfect medium-rare. This is an expensive cut of beef, so patience and attention during the grilling process is paramount. I will also serve this with a variety of grilled vegetables – orange peppers, sweet onions, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus.
One of the great pleasures of preparing this dish is the reveal of the inner temperature as you carve the meat in front of your guests – the anticipation of savoring a perfectly cooked, decadent steak such as the chateaubriand is always a memorable event and meal long remembered.
A variant version of this dish is what I call “Steak Mark”. It is essentially cuts of filet – either this whole filet cut into individual steaks or precut from your butcher – Costco remains a great value for Prime Filet! Same prep – marinade in the Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce and rosemary 2-12 hours and cook per directions. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Whole filet from Costco or your favorite local butcher such as Joe and Dons or The Beast and Cleaver
Yoshidas Gourmet Sauce
Fresh Rosemary
Flaked sea salt
Preparation
Reduce the direct heat on the grill to low, keeping indirect burners on high.
Continue cooking, taking the temperature with your instant-read thermometer, targeting a temperature of 120. It is very important to frequently take a reading to ensure that the filet is not overcooked – realizing that the ends are thinner than the center – a center temp of 120 will mean then ends are medium and likely overdone, so factor this into your cooking process and desired doneness.
The filet will continue to cook when removed from the grill, up to 10 minutes and can rise in temperature up d 10 degrees – so often I will cook the center to 115, the ends will be pink, the center red, and the filet will rise to your desired level of doneness accordingly.
