Name: Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 1/4 cup sugar; Salt and pepper; 8 slices bacon; 4 tenderloin steaks (6 to 7 ounces each), about 1 1/2 inches thick

Why This Recipe Works

Expensive filet mignon is a tender cut of beef, but its lean nature means it can be short on flavor. It’s no wonder that many recipes say to wrap a slice of rich, smoky bacon around the steak, which adds flavor and moisture. But the combination of bacon and high heat (the traditional heat for steaks) is a recipe for disaster. Microwaving the bacon in our Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon recipe between two plates kept it from shrinking and made it easier to wrap around the filets. To get the bacon crisp and caramelized, we sprinkled it with a little sugar. A second slice or raw bacon wrapped around each bacon-wrapped filet basted the meat as it cooked, adding even more bacon flavor. To get a nice char from cooking beef over high heat, we removed the extra bacon, moved the steaks to the hottest part of the grill, and quickly seared one side until the meat was a perfect medium-rare.

Before You Begin

Evenly shaped, center-cut tenderloin steaks work best here.

Instructions

Combine sugar and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in pie plate. Lay 4 slices bacon on large plate, weigh down with second plate, and microwave on high power until fat is rendered and bacon is slightly shriveled but still pliable, 1 to 3 minutes. Cool slightly, then dredge one side of rendered bacon in sugar mixture.

Pat steaks dry and season with salt and pepper. Wrap each steak with 1 piece sugared bacon and place 1 piece folded raw bacon on top of each steak.

Heat all burners on high for 15 minutes, then leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) to low. (For charcoal grill, light 100 coals until covered with fine gray ash, then spread two-thirds of coals over half of grill and remaining coals in single layer over other half. Set cooking grate in place and heat covered, with vent lid opened completely, for 5 minutes). Scrape and oil cooking grate. Grill steaks, covered, over cooler side of grill until internal temperatures of meat registers 100 degrees, 7 to 14 minutes. Remove bacon from top of steaks and cook on cooler side until crisp. Flip steaks and grill, covered, over hotter side of grill until steaks register 125 to 130 degrees (for medium-rare), 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to plate, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Remove toothpicks. Serve, crumbling bacon over steaks.