4 filet mignon steaks (each 6 to 8 ounces and at least 2 inches thick)
Coarse salt (sea or kosher), to taste
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 cup stemmed flat-leaf parsley or other fresh herbs
2 scallions, trimmed
1 red jalapeño or serrano pepper
1/3 cup best-quality extra virgin olive oil, in a small bowl
Vegetable oil for oiling the grill grate
1/2 cup cracked black peppercorns, spread out in a shallow bowl
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Arrange the filets mignons in a baking dish. Generously salt each on both sides. Dry-brine the steaks in the refrigerator for 1 hour, uncovered, turning them once.
Before grilling, finely chop the garlic and parsley on a large cutting board with a well. Thinly slice the scallions (both white and green parts) and the pepper crosswise. Season generously with salt and pepper and pour half the olive oil on top. Mix with the blade of the knife.
Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to medium-high. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well. Dip each filet mignon in cracked black pepper to crust the top and bottom. Arrange the steaks on the grill grate. Grill for 1 1/2 minutes, then give each steak a quarter turn to lay on a crosshatch of grill marks. When the bottom is sizzling and browned (you may see beads of blood start to form on the top), turn the steaks and grill the other side the same way. Grill the steaks on the sides, too, to expose all surfaces to the heat.
You’ll need about 3 minutes per side for rare (120 to 125 degrees); 4 minutes per side for medium-rare (130 to 135 degrees); 5 minutes per side for medium (140 to 145 degrees). Use an instant-read thermometer inserted through the side of the steak to check for doneness.
Remove the hot filets mignons from the grill and lay them directly on top of the Cutting Board Sauce ingredients on the cutting board. Cut each steak with downward strokes of the knife into 1/4-inch-thick slices. (There is no need to let the meat rest.) Pour the remaining olive oil over the sliced steaks and toss on the board with a spoon and the blade of the knife: The idea is to coat the steak slices with herbs and oil and mix them with the meat juices. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Excerpted from Project Fire: Cutting-Edge Techniques and Sizzling Recipes from the Caveman Porterhouse to Salt Slab Brownie S’Mores by Steven Raichlen (Workman Publishing). Copyright © 2018. Photograph by Matthew Benson.