Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas And Temperature Tips

Valentine’s Day is best celebrated with a memorable meal, one that is both special and delicious. We’ve compiled a list of some top Valentine’s Day dinner ideas, including a few desserts. As you consider different dinner ideas and recipes, find one from this list. With the correct temperature tips, cooking process, and your Thermapen^® you can make a very romantic dinner for your loved one that they’ll remember!

Entrée Ideas

Filet Mignon

Filet Mignon is such a Valentine’s Day staple that we have three different options you can choose from! Forewarning: a careful eye on temperature plays a vital role in all of them.

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Video: How to Smoke Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon

It’s a challenge to improve an already delicious filet mignon, but we think wrapping it in bacon and smoking it can do it. A rich flavor of smoke and bacon make this an indulgent dish. Try this two-stage reverse sear method to produce an incredible meal that you’ll both remember!

Perfectly Cooked Filet Mignon Prepared Two Ways

We tried two different cooking methods to prepare a filet mignon. First: smoked then pan-seared. Second: pan-seared and finished in the oven. Both processes include a sear to create a delicious crust on the steak, one utilizes a smoker and one an oven. Read our results here and choose which method you prefer!

How to Cook a Filet Mignon Dinner + Butchering a Beef Tenderloin Video

The price of a filet mignon entrée at a restaurant can be quite pricey, slicing your own steaks from a beef tenderloin can bring the cost of your dinner down dramatically and, by following a few simple temperature tips, can yield equally impressive results. Follow our video to learn how to butcher a whole beef tenderloin, then follow a few steps to reverse sear your restaurant quality filet mignon dinner.

How to Grill Lobster

A succulent lobster dinner doesn’t have to be a complicated project. With these critical temperatures tips, you can grill a delicious and safe lobster dinner for your sweetheart this Valentine’s day.

Thermal Tips: Salt-Crusted Cornish Game Hen

Salt-roasting is a fun and simple cooking method with remarkable results. Combine that with single-serving-size Cornish Game Hen, and you’ve got a winning main course perfect for your Valentine’s day celebrations. With proper temperature control, these little birds may be the most flavorful and memorable meal your special someone has ever had!

Dessert Ideas

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cake

For those cake fans! This dessert is a happy marriage of chocolate and delicate white cake with silky strawberry mousseline buttercream filling. As always we give you the essential temperature tips to help you achieve a perfect dessert for your Valentine’s date.

Foolproof Créme Brûlée

Créme Brûlée is not only elegant but, with the correct thermal tips, a simple dessert as well. We used a sous vide cooking method to make this delicate custard as foolproof as we could. Follow these simple steps to creating a delicious dessert your sure to be proud of. If you don’t have sous vide machine readily available, don’t worry! We have another post that will show you how to bake it in a low-temperature oven: Thermal Secrets for Créme Brûlée.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

For a lighter Valentine’s day dessert or even a fun treat throughout the day, try these chocolate covered strawberries. Tempering chocolate can be a simple task when you’re paying attention to critical temperatures and using an instant-read thermometer too, so you know exactly what’s going on in your chocolate.