Pan-Seared Filet Mignon with Provolone and Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

 

If you've been following my refrigerator saga (that you can read about here, here, and here) you now know the saga had its [undented] silver lining. Ultimately, there was also a bit of good involved in this debacle. Amid all the shuffling of foods between fridges and freezers, I made a fortuitous discovery: I found…a steak! And not just a steak, but a filet mignon tucked away in the back. I'd ordered a set of four from Omaha Steaks months ago and mistakenly thought I'd eaten them all. Finding that last one felt like striking gold.

 I wanted to do something truly special with it, so I dug through my collection of filet mignon recipes. I landed on an old St. Louis Post-Dispatch clipping for "Filet Zanti" from a local restaurant. The original called for grilling, a white wine mushroom sauce (on beef?), and a topping of mozzarella. I decided to give it a complete makeover. It turned out magnificently.

I swapped the grill for the stovetop for easier weeknight (or company) cooking, switched to red wine for a richer sauce that complements the beef beautifully, and traded the mild mozzarella for bold provolone. The result? Pure heaven on a plate. I caught myself making those involuntary “yummy” sounds with every bite.

 

This revamped dish—quick, elegant, and deeply satisfying—comes together in about 20 minutes from start to finish. It scales beautifully for two, four, or even more, making it perfect for date nights or special occasions. Here's my version: 

Pan-Seared Filet with Provolone and Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

Yield: 1 serving (easily doubled or tripled)

 For the Steak:

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 (8-oz.) filet mignon

1 T. olive oil

About ½ c. Italian bread crumbs

1 T. butter

1 slice provolone cheese

For the Sauce:

½ c. sliced fresh mushrooms

3 T. butter, divided

2 T. red wine

6 T. beef stock

Juice of ½ lemon

1–2 T. flour

Remove the steak from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking. Season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, then roll it in the bread crumbs to coat.

  Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat until screaming hot (turn on your vent fan and maybe a ceiling fan—trust me on this). Add the butter to the pan, then place the filet in it. Cook to your desired doneness. For medium, I do about 4 minutes per side. Just before removing, top with the provolone slice and let it melt.

While the steak rests, make the sauce: In the same pan (or a separate one), sauté the mushrooms in 1 T. butter for about 1 minute. Add the red wine, beef stock, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil.

Roll the remaining 2 T. butter in flour until well coated, then add it to the sauce. Stir and cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens nicely.

Plate the filet, spoon the luxurious mushroom sauce over the top, and serve immediately.

 One bite and you'll understand why I was in food bliss. Tender, juicy steak with a crispy breadcrumb crust, melty provolone, and a bright, savory red wine sauce—it's restaurant-quality without the fuss. 

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Country-Style Gravy

As I mentioned to you a while ago when I was discussing my initial fear of tartar sauce (and then ultimately learning to embrace it), I’d bought a variety pack from Omaha Steaks. In that variety pack, in addition to the Pub Cod, there was a box of Chicken Fried Chicken Patties. I didn't quite know what to expect, but figured that I just really couldn't go wrong, and I was right. They’re darn good! These days, with the deck construction going on, the house an absolute mess, and everything in a bit of an uproar, the last thing I want to do is cook.

The other night I tried a Chicken Fried Chicken patty, and was very pleased. I served it, diner style, on one of vintage grill plates, along with green beans, mashed potatoes (two of my favorite diner sides), and topped it with Country Style Gravy. I had no idea how to make country gravy, so did a little research. Essentially, it's nothing more than a béchamel using bacon fat in place of butter. I'm one of those people who, when I fry bacon, save the bacon fat (in a vintage canning jar stored in the fridge), after multiple screenings through a sieve and cheesecloth before doing so. As a consequence, the bacon fat that I have is the purest, most beautiful bacon fat that you can imagine. Oh, how my grandmother would be proud!

The recipe for tasty country gravy is as follows; I encourage you to give it a try. Adding some dried or fresh herbs makes a great deal of difference. I had intended upon adding some chopped fresh rosemary, but my rosemary plant is struggling amid all the chaos, so instead, I added some rubbed sage. It was a good choice. I enjoyed it, and I think you and your family will too.

(I imagine that a lot of you have your own versions, so tell me about them in the comments section below. I love hearing from you!)

 Country-Style Gravy

1 tablespoon pure, strained bacon grease
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon of your favorite dried herb, or,

2 teaspoons of your favorite minced fresh herb

Melt bacon fat in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in flour, and continue whisking for 1 to 2 minutes to be certain to eliminate the floury taste. Slowly pour in whole milk, whisking continually; cook and stir until thickened. (This took me about 3 to 5 minutes.) Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the dried or fresh herbs of your choice. Top chicken patty or mashed potatoes and serve.

PRINT RECIPE

 This post is linked to:

Full Plate Thursday

Home Sweet Home
Grace at Home

Coffee and Conversation

Friday at the Fire Station
Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Create, Bake, Grow and Gather

Simple Saturday Blog Hop

Share It One More Time
Paula's No Rules Weekend Blog Party

Jim's Steak Diane

Some time ago one of you asked if I would be making any of Jim's recipes. I thought that sounded like a wonderful idea, so last night I made what came to be known as “Jim's” Steak Diane. The non-Jim version is fairly standard; what makes his special is the addition of mushrooms.

He didn't set out to wander from the original recipe that he’d found in the cookbook accompanying the box of Omaha Steaks we'd received, it was pure serendipity, much like that experienced by Rachel Green in her failed attempt to make Trifle on the old sitcom, “Friends.” Jim combined the recipe for Filet Mignon with Mushrooms and the recipe for Steak Diane. In his defense, they were side-by-side on the same page in the cookbook, and that type is small! As it turned out, we liked his version quite well, and this is how we’ve made it ever since. My philosophy has always been that mushrooms enhance any savory dish to which they are added. This recipe proves that’s right. 

Jim's Steak Diane

2 6-oz. Filet Mignons

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. butter

6 crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard

2 Tbsp. shallots, minced

1 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1-1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. fresh chives, minced

1 tsp. brandy

1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper.

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a heavy skillet, and sauté mushrooms until juices are released; add mustard and shallots, and sauté 1 minute more. Add steaks and cook approximately 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare.

Remove steaks to serving plate and keep warm.

To pan drippings, add 1 Tbsp. butter, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and chives.

Cook for 2 minutes. Add brandy, stirring until warmed through, and pour sauce over steaks.

Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

This post is linked to: Wow Us Wednesday, Work It Wednesday, Wine’d Down Wednesday, Wake up Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday, The DIY Collective, Thursday Favorite Things, Share Your Style, Coffee and Conversation, and Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Teriyaki Tenderloin

 

When, at long last, we sold our old (and I mean this literally, it was 121 years, built in 1892) house, we received a surprisingly and most welcome gift in the mail from Mr. O-P’s sister. Now anything marked Omaha Steaks is going to get my attention, but the contents of this box really bowled me over as we received two Chateaubriand and a cheesecake.  What a treat!  Beef tenderloin is a favorite of us both, and for years I’d buy one to serve to Mr. O-P on his birthday.  Eventually though, with the rising price of, well, EVERYTHING, it would have been cheaper to buy him a new PC than the tenderloin, so that’s when we started going out.  But I digress…

I remember when I was a little girl my mother used to serve tenderloin of beef at special dinner parties.  She used this simple recipe from our favorite series of Better Homes & Gardens cookbooks back then (the same where appeared the delicious recipe for Creamy Ham Towers), Make Ahead Meals.

Here is the recipe as it appears in the book.  Nothing could be simpler.  As the Chateaubriand was smaller than the size of tenderloin in the recipe, I baked it for 20 minutes. 

I served it with roasted Brussels sprouts and slices of crusty French bread.  Delicious!

This post is linked to:

Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
Foodie Friday