First, grab a thick-cut filet mignon—about 1.5 to 2 inches tall, because thin steaks are for fast food, not for seduction. Then, choose bacon that’s not too thin; you want artisanal or thick-cut bacon that won’t shrivel into a sad string under heat. (Nobody wants a bacon thong on their steak, right?)
Let the filet sit out for 30 minutes to lose its fridge chill—cold meat sears unevenly, and we’re aiming for perfection, not physics experiments. Pat it dry with paper towels, because moisture is the enemy of a good crust. Dry surface, happy crust—write that on your fridge with a Sharpie.
The perfect wrap
Lay your bacon strips on a cutting board, slightly overlapping, like a roof shingle made of meat. Place the filet at one end and roll it tight, but not so tight that you compress the steak into a dense ball—think of it as a hug, not a chokehold. Tuck the loose end under the steak so it doesn’t flap open like a bad mullet.
Use butcher’s twine to tie the whole bundle in two or three spots—around the middle and the edges. This keeps the bacon glued to the steak while it cooks, because bacon has a habit of trying to escape like a prisoner on work release. Trust me, you don’t want to flip a steak and have the bacon slide off into the pan like a greasy ghost.
How to Cook a Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon | Steak University
