Filets to cook!

I have got four filet loins to cook along with the Lobster tails for my brothers wedding as most of you know and now I would like your opinion on how you would do this.Wuold you cut the Filets up and throw them on the grill or would you sear them whole, cooked rare to medium rare and then slice and plate them?I am thinking cooking them ahead of time and wrapping them in foil and then cutting them to order.I can always cook them more on the grill if they want done more.What would you do?

I would tend to grill them whole and then slice them. That way you only have four to keep up with. Just MHO.

Jellybear: Keep them whole, and absolutelly cook them rare, particularly if you are going to serve them later. Be sure to salt and pepper them first. I would also let them sit in some olive oil and minced garlic for about an hour or so with the salt and pepper. Filets are very lean, and the oil will help develop a crust while keeping them juicy inside, but watch for flare-ups.

Jellybear, I have made this recipe many times and looks like it's tailor-made for what you've got on hand:

ROASTED SURF ‘N’ TURF

2 lobster tails
1/ 2 tsp. salt
1/ 2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 (3 lb.) whole beef tenderloin
1 Tbs. melted butter or margarine
1 1/ 2 tsp. lemon juice
6 slices bacon
1/ 4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/ 4 cup finely chopped green onions (scallions)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/ 2 lb. mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/ 2 cup butter
1/ 2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (optional) or
1 tsp. chopped fresh or 1/ 4 tsp. dried tarragon (optional)

Place lobster tails, salt and seafood seasoning in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from water and drain. Let cool until able to be handled. Carefully remove lobster tails from shells, keeping meat in one piece. Cut each piece of lobster meat in half lengthwise and set aside.

Cut a horizontal pocket through the center of meat to within ½ inch of opposite side of tenderloin, slicing the entire length of tenderloin. Carefully stuff lobster pieces, end to end, inside tenderloin. Combine the 1 Tbs. melted butter and lemon juice; Drizzle on lobster. Fold over tenderloin to resemble original shape and tie with butcher’s twine. Set aside.

Cook bacon in a skillet until slightly crisp; drain, reserving drippings. Crumble bacon; set aside.

Put beef in shallow pan and brush entire surface of meat with bacon drippings. Insert meat thermometer in center of roast so the point is right below the lobster, making sure it doesn’t go all the way through and touch the pan. Bake at 400 degrees for approx. 25 minutes or until thermometer registers 130 degrees (rare).

While roast is cooking, saute shallots, green onions, garlic and mushrooms in ½ cup butter. Add wine and Worcestershire sauce or tarragon (but not both). Simmer until roast is ready. To serve, remove twine and sprinkle top of meat with crumbled bacon. Serve sauce with sliced tenderloin.

Note: The roast can be stuffed earlier in the day and refrigerated (uncooked). Add a few minutes more cooking time if made ahead. The sauce can also be made ahead and reheated.

I would also suggest you cook them whole to rare. I would not wrap in foil, this will "steam" the meat from the heat within. Leave them sitting at room temp. on a sheet pan and when you need to cut one, put it on the grill to reheat or in a really hot (500 degree) oven for a few minutes.
Nice sauces that could be made ahead would be: a wild mushroom ragout, sauce bordelaise, bearnaise (I still love that old classic), choron, or just a shallot-herb butter.

1) Get a Cuisinart "Griddler": $129 at Macy's; $89 at COSTCO or Sam's. (It has a greater range of temperature settings that any Foreman grill).

2) Buy some Charcrust "Original Hickory" rub. www.charcrust.com if your local grocery does'nt carry it.

3) Get your Choice filets from COSTCO or Sam's for $8/lb.

4) Rub your meat and let it come to room temperature.

5) Set your Cuisinart to "sear". Two minutes gets you the crust to die for. Reduce temperature to Medium, turn meat and cook to taste. Medium rare takes three minutes for a 1.5" 'er.

This gets you the same result as the cast-iron skillet + oven method without the smoke, grease spatter, and mess.

When we moved to Dallas an island-mounted, unvented Vulcan induction cooktop came with the house. It had replaced a downdraft unit, hence, no ventilation. One attempt at a pan-fried steak left me with choices: a series of $500 fines for false smoke alarms, a $3,000 hood, or an $89 Griddler!

By the way, I love the Vulcan induction for everything else: it gives you the same fast heat-up and control of gas without the small and occasional danger.