Smoked Filet Mignon

• After taking the meat out of the refrigerator, allow it to sit out for at least 30 minutes to get closer to room temperature before grilling.
• Season the meat with the sea salt, pepper and garlic.
• Preheating the grill with woodchips in the smoke box may take 5 to 15 minutes. You can expedite the process by using a propane torch directed to the wood chips to get them starting smoking.
• Filets should be cooked with a grill surface temperature between 450° and 500° with direct heat. Having a grill surface thermometer is very helpful to determine this.
• Use the below chart to help determine the doneness:

  Doneness           Internal Temp   Cook Time

  Rare: cold red center      125°-130°           6-8 minutes

  Medium Rare: warm red center 130°-135°           10-11 minutes

  Medium: pink and firm  140°-150°           12-14 minutes

  Medium Well: minimal pink        150°-155°           15-16 minutes

  Well Done: firm and brown         160°+    18+ minutes
• Flip the filets half way through the cook time. Cook to the internal temperature allowing for 2°-4° temperature increase after removing from the grill.
• Approximate times will vary based on thickness of the meat, cook temp, and rest time. Do not cook by time alone use a meat thermometer to determine the internal temperature.

Smoke Box

• If your gas grill does not come with an integrate smoke box, you can buy an aftermarket smoke box to use in just about any grill.

  Some people talk about using wood chips in water and refer to this a swet smoking. Unless the wood chips are actually burning and producing smoke then the water is simply steaming and offering nothing in the way of flavor to the filet. Having water producing steam in grill is a good way to help keep the meat moist but really is not necessary for a cut of meat as tender as a filet.

  The below list is are recommend for cooking with beef.

  •            Cherry – Mild, Sweet & Fruity

  •            Oak – Medium, Earthy

  •            Pecan – Medium, Nutty

  •            Hickory – Intense, Smoky & Spicy

  •            Mesquite – Intense, Earthy & Slightly Sweet