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Pan-Seared Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce

Source of Recipe

"Once Upon A Chef: Weeknight/Weekend" by Jennifer Segal


Recipe Introduction

"For birthday celebrations at our house, the birthday person gets to request his or her favorite dinner. My husband *always* requests filet mignon. Here, I sear the filets in a hot skillet, then build a pan sauce with shallots, red wine, and beef broth. It's simple enough to pull off on a busy weeknight, yet it tastes like dinner at a fancy restaurant."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 (6-ounce) filets mignons
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
â—¦ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
â—¦ ¾ cup thinly sliced shallot (from 2 large shallots)
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ â…” cup dry red wine
â—¦ 1 ½ cups beef broth
â—¦ ½ teaspoon sugar
â—¦ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme


Recipe

Pat the steaks dry, and if they are thick, gently press them down with the palm of your hand so that they are about 1 ½ inches thick. Season the steaks all over with 1 heaping teaspoon of kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper.

In a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the steaks and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, turning only once, for medium-rare (or about 5 minutes per side for medium). Transfer the steaks to a plate and tent with foil.

Reduce the heat to low and add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pan. When the butter is melted, add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until they soften and start to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the wine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits, until the wine is reduced by about two-thirds, about 4 minutes. Add the broth, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 4 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, in a small bowl, mash the remaining 2 tablespoons softened butter with the flour to make a smooth paste.

Whisk half the butter-flour paste into the sauce and simmer until thickened, about 30 seconds. Whisk in more paste, little by little, until the sauce is thickened to your liking (you may not need all of it). Stir in the thyme, a few grinds of pepper, and any juice that accumulated on the plate holding the steaks. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Transfer the steaks to serving plates; spoon the sauce over and around the steaks or pass it at the table.

Serves 4



• Pro Tip:
This is the kind of meal you're likely to make only as much as you need. If you'd like to make fewer steaks, that's fine, but still make the same amount of sauce (the sauce recipe does not scale down well and it's always nice to have a little extra sauce). Also, keep in mind that with fewer steaks in the pan, they'll cook a bit faster (for medium-rare, figure 3 to 4 minutes per side).