What's on the Grill #251: Bone-in Filet with Bacon, Whiskey, Peppercorn Sauce

When someone says, "it's magic!", I don't envision coins pulled out of an ear or a lovely lady cut in half.  No, when I hear those special words, I think of one thing: a bone-in filet.  

Now, I know you are saying to yourself, "how exactly is that magical?".  After all, it's a piece of meat...with a bone attached to it.  OK, I will give you the observation, but allow me to repeat myself: a bone-in filet.  When I get excited about bone-in meats, I'm not talking about t-bones, porterhouses, rib eyes or strips, I'm not talking about the unicorn of bone-in cuts, the mystical, magical, filet.

A bone-in filet is actually a porterhouse steak cut in half.  Part of the cut becomes the bone-in filet and the other half becomes a bone-in strip steak.  Above, the bone-in filet is on the right and a "regular - lesser" filet is on the left.

Personally, I make a big deal out of bone-in filets because I almost never encounter them.  Except, of course, when I stumble into my favorite neighborhood, wine, beer & fine meat store, Jerardi's.  Owned and operated by the rocking blues man himself, Eric Jerardi, I thank my lucky stars he has such a passion for fine fish and meat.  One day a week Eric gets in a supply of the some of the finest meat and fish available in the Dayton area: dry aged, prime, and awesome.

So, as I perused the weekly selection, there it was, the unicorn: the bone-in filet.

Bone-in Filet (and "lesser filet") with Bacon, Whiskey, Peppercorn Sauce
From Another Pint Please

2 beef filets (with or without the bone)
salt & pepper 

1 slice of bacon, chopped.
1 Tbls olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tbls peppercorns, crushed
1/4 cup of whiskey
3 Tbls butter
3/4 cup of heavy cream 

For cuts this big, I recommend a reverse sear.  Yes, you could char the hell out of it with direct heat, but to get that uniform medium rare center, the reverse sear works really well.  The bone-in filet pictured is over a pound in weight.  That's a big fat piece of meat.

Prep the grill for indirect medium heat.  Remove the meat from the refrigerator at least thirty minutes prior to grilling.  Salt and pepper the meat generously.

Place the meat on the indirect grates and close the lid.  Next, ready the sauce.

In a medium size pan pan over medium heat, render bacon until cooked, but not super crisp.  Add the olive oil, garlic and onion, cook an additional 3-4 minutes.  Next, add the crushed pepper.  To crush the peppercorn, the underside of a heavy cast iron skillet works great.

Grab your whiskey.  I opted for Jack Daniels, as everything else on hand I would prefer to drink.

Add the whiskey to the pan and allow to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The whiskey will cook down and get absorbed by the onion.  Add the butter and 3/4 cup heavy cream.  Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, then keep warm until ready to serve.

In the meantime, the steaks have been cooking outside, hopefully.  An instant read thermometer is your best weapon to ensure reverse sear success.  I'm looking for medium rare, which in order to achieve, is about 40-45 minutes, or when the internal thermometer reads about 120-125 F.  When it does, remove the steaks from the grill and crank the burners to high, or if grilling on charcoal, place directly over the lit coals and fully open the air vents.

Drop the steaks back down on the hot grates and sear for about a minute a side.

A quick aside...

During the last few minutes of cooking, a great side is some stir fried chard, kale, or whatever green you have close at hand.

Heat some oil (I used peanut) in a wok.  Once hot and shimmering, toss in some diced garlic and ginger.  Give the pan a quick toss and then throw in the chopped greens.  Allow to cook until bright green and wilted, about 2-3 minutes.

OK, where was I?  Oh yes, dinner.

Plate the steaks, plate the veg, and top with the sauce.

The reverse sear worked just as expected and somehow, I ate the whole thing.