Filet Au Poivre & New Years Day

Filet Au Poivre, Fettuccine with Spinach Alfredo, and Cherry Tomatoes.  That was our dinner last night.  And my husband is still raving about it.

I really didn’t think that the meal was going to be that impressive.  I make some version of Alfredo at least once a month and good beef is on the menu fairly regularly.  I am my Fathers’ daughter after all.  And let me just make it clear that he raised me right and I only eat my steak with salt and pepper.  I  can count on one hand how many times I have eaten a good piece of beef with any kind of sauce or topping on it and it was usually not my choice.  But this recipe sounded so good and it was sitting on my desk and steak was completely on my brain yesterday.  (Deep breath!)  I decided to give it a try.

So I made it, heavily modified of course.  And I can honestly say that although my husband likes the food I make in general, I have never heard him praise a dish quite like this one.  I kid you not.  He wanted to drink the sauce on the filet.  His upbringing stopped him short of licking the pan, and instead, he settled for snatching up all the little bites of meat left on our kids’ plates to scoop up the last of the sauce.  It was creamy, and peppery, and tangy and…wow.  It was really good.

I don’t really know how to accurately explain my husbands reaction.  He said it was better than anything he had ever had at a restaurant.  Better than anything I had made before.  The best filet he had ever had.

And I blushed a little.

As long as he is happy, I am happy.
But he was right.  It was fantastic.  And when I mentioned that I would be blogging about it, he started all over again.  Hmmm.  Maybe I will make it again on Valentine’s Day…

Honorable Mention:  It can be expensive, but filet of beef, or filet mignon is worth it!  As tender as it is the lack of fat in it can mean lack of flavor too.  It is the perfect cut to enhance with a sauce.  And this recipe is a great example.  Restaurant quality food in less than 20 minutes.  Yes please! This is even a bit too done for my taste.  I love it medium rare.  Still fantastic though!

Filet Au Poivre
Adapted from Ree
There are so many different versions of this dish, but I can’t get passed this one.

2 filets of beef, or filet mignons
2 T butter
Salt and Pepper
2 T Dijon mustard
1/2 c beef broth
1/3 c heavy cream
1 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Season both sides of the steaks generously with salt and pepper.  Melt the butter in an oven proof skillet over medium high heat.  When the skillet is sizzling hot, sear the steak for about 3 minutes.  Flip and slide the whole skillet into the oven about 5 minutes, for medium rare.  Remove the pan and place the steak onto a plate, covering it with foil to let it rest.  Put the skillet back onto the stove over med heat and add the beef broth, scraping up the browned bits from the pan.  Let bubble for a minute or two and whisk in the dijon.  Let heat for a minute and whisk in the cream and last tsp of pepper.  Let the whole sauce bubble for another minute and thicken slightly.  Spoon over steaks and enjoy!