Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon

Hi internet! Hope everyone had a great holiday! I made Christmas Eve dinner since our favorite Italian family-owned restaurant closed. Here's a favorite of mine that is so easy to cook.

The tenderloin is quite lean and can easily become dry when overcooked. Wrapping the tenderloin in bacon solves this problem and adds a great deal of flavor.

Ingredients:

Salt & Pepper

5-8 oz. beef tenderloin cuts, 1 inch thick

Olive oil

2 pieces of bacon/tenderloin

2 tablespoons minced shallots

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Rub steaks with olive oil, salt and pepper, and any other seasoning you prefer (onions and garlic are recommended)

Wrap two wide pieces of bacon around the steak, making sure there are few gaps

Weave a toothpick through the bacon and steak to secure the bacon in place

Place the steak presentation side down on a medium-high stove top--melt either a half-stick of butter or use olive oil

Don't crowd the pan. There should be enough space as the meat.

Cook the steaks on both sides for about 5 minutes or until the sides brown

Once all the steaks are cooked, turn off the stove and put the steaks on the pan.

Place the pan in the oven and cook the steaks to your preference, using a meat thermometer: 120-125 degrees for rare meat, 140-150 degrees for medium, and around 160-170 degrees for well-done.

Garnish with shallots and remove the toothpicks (mushrooms, sauteed onions, and bleu cheese would also be good to add)