How to cook butterfly filet mignon

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Speed up cooking with the butterfly technique

Part of the fun of grilling is hanging out with friends while the steak cooks. When the butcher asks my husband how thick to cut his ribeye, he answers “two beers thick” - in other words, thick enough that he can drink a couple beers while it cooks.

Table of Contents Show

1 Season the uncooked meat
2 Cut the filet mignon
3 Place the two halves
Is it OK to butterfly a filet mignon?
How long do you cook a butterfly steak?
How do I cook butterfly steak?
How do you grill a butterflied filet?

A thicker steak will take longer to cook through than a thinner steak. So if someone orders a thick cut and wants it well-done, they’re going to be at the grill much longer than someone who wants their steak medium-rare.

If you want everyone’s steak to come off the grill at the same time, you have a couple options. First, you could give everyone who wants well-done steaks a head-start. Let the medium-rare folks add theirs to the grill at least 5 minutes later.

The second option is to cut a thicker steak into a thinner steak through a technique called “butterflying”. We do this all the time at the restaurants, primarily on Filet Mignon, which you can see is a few inches thick.

Essentially, you make a cut across the steak, stopping before you cut all the way through it. When you open the steak up, it now has two matching sides, resembling a butterfly. Now the steak is only half as thick and will cook much more quickly. Butterflying a thick steak helps you get the inside well done without charring the outside.

The butterfly technique is easy to do at home and doesn’t require special tools - just a sharp knife! Watch as our butcher butterflies a filet mignon at the steakhouse. Feel free to ask us to butterfly your steak the next time you’re at our meat counter!

Product Code: BLG-BUTTERFLY

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Butterfly cutting a steak is an effective way to reduce cooking time, as well as the likelihood of burning the meat. Although you cannot butterfly cut filet mignon that is intended to be cooked rare, you can "butterfly" all other cuts, ensuring that the center is fully cooked while avoiding charring the rest of the meat. Butterfly cutting is relatively easy, requiring only a little attention.

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1 Season the uncooked meat

Season the uncooked meat, with salt, pepper and any other spices and marinades that you wish to use.

2 Cut the filet mignon

Cut the filet mignon with a steak knife, lengthwise, in half.

3 Place the two halves

Place the two halves of the filet mignon on your heated grill. The meat should sizzle instantly when it touches the grill. If not, remove the meat and allow the grill to heat more. Cook the meat for three to five minutes on either side.

About the Author

Tricia Lobo has been writing since 2006. Her biomedical engineering research, "Biocompatible and pH sensitive PLGA encapsulated MnO nanocrystals for molecular and cellular MRI," was accepted in 2010 for publication in the journal "Nanoletters." Lobo earned her Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering, with distinction, from Yale in 2010.

Is it OK to butterfly a filet mignon?

How long do you cook a butterfly steak?

Season each butterfly steak by coating it with the olive oil and sprinkling it with the sea salt and black pepper. Preheat the grill or skillet to high heat. Cook the steaks in the skillet or on the grill for 2 to 4 minutes.

How do I cook butterfly steak?

Season butterfly steaks with salt and pepper. Place 2-3 sage leaves on each steak and fold, thread on wooden skewers. Heat remaining oil in a nonstick skillet and cook steaks for about 3-4 minutes per side.

How do you grill a butterflied filet?

For a 1-inch cut, grill 10 to 12 minutes for medium-rare (145°F) or 12 to 15 minutes for medium (160°F). For a 1½-inch cut, grill 15 to 19 minutes for medium-rare (145°F) or 18 to 23 minutes for medium (160°F).