For those of you who have ever had the occasion to eat my husband’s perfectly grilled steak, you know what I mean when I say its perfect, melt in your mouth, utter deliciousness.  He has a few tricks that I have learned over time, but for now his recipe stays a secret.  Usually conversations in our house go something like— Me: You haven’t made steak in forever!  Stephen: I made it for you yesterday babe.  Oh my goodness, but yes I am a big steak fan! And my meat of choice is filet mignon.  Its not an everyday occasion by any means in our house, but something we always treat ourselves to on the weekends or when celebrations are in order.

“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”

We love to make steak when we have guests over, but often will sear up the rest for breakfast with a side of eggs on Sunday mornings for a breakfast treat! I have been working on this recipe for a while that combines steak, butter and cast iron skillets—yes, just a few of my favorite things.  I decided to add a little smoky flavor into the mix with the addition of smoked sea salt flakes, one of my newest favorite kitchen essentials.  The flavor is irreplaceable and you will want to keep these smoky flakes on hand for garnishing.

I am so excited to be feature as this month’s featured chef over at US Wellness Meats—one of my favorite all American companies that delivers grass-fed and pasture raised meats directly to your door.  If you haven’t ordered from them before, do it! They are honestly the best.  Check out my interview with them and some tips and tricks for cooking along with why eating grass-fed meat is so important to your health.

Enjoy this recipe for a a delicious, healthy breakfast or even dinner treat!

Props & Styling: Glenna Dinnerware, Bon Appetite Napkin

Pan Seared Smoky Steak and Eggs

Ingredients

• 2 filet mignon steaks
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp smoked sea salt flakes, + additional for garnish
• 1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 eggs, poached

Directions

• Remove steak from the refrigerator and season with salt and pepper.  Set the steak aside to come to room temperature for 1 hour.
• When you are ready to cook, warm a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat for several minutes so that the pan is evenly heated.  Melt butter in the skillet.
• Sear the fillets for 4 to 4 1/2 minutes, flip then continue cooking for an additional 4 to 4 1/2 minutes, for medium-rare steak, depending on the thickness of your steaks.
• Remove steak from the pan and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
• Sauté the shallots in the leftover butter and steak juices of the pan until they turn slightly crispy.
• Plate steak with a poached egg, crispy shallots and a few pinches of smoked salt flakes.

This & That

Searing time depends on the thickness of your filets and the desired degree of cooking. For medium to medium well, sear for an additional minute or two.  Keep in mind that filets are meant to be served medium rare and slightly pink.  They will also continue to cook as they rest.