Recipe of the Week: Filet Mignon with Merlot Mushroom Sauce

A few weeks ago, I came across a recipe/advertisement from Barefoot Wine.  The minute I saw it, I knew that I immediately had to make it...not to mention that we had some nice filet steaks in the freezer leftover from Christmas.

Normally, I am not one to mess with a filet.  Rarely does it need anything more than salt and pepper on the top, but this sauce was really great.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Filet Mignon in Mushroom Wine Sauce - Slightly Adapted from Barefoot Wines

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Barefoot Merlot

4 (6oz) filet mignon steaks

5 tablespoons butter, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil

16 oz sliced mushrooms

1 small onion, finely diced

4 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup cup beef broth (add in 1/2 cup increments)

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Heat a large pan over medium heat and melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until soft.  Stir in onion and cook for another 3 minutes, then add garlic and season with salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon thyme. Add 1 tablespoon flour and continue cooking for another minute until flour is cooked. 

Add 1/2 cup Merlot and 1/2 cup broth to mushroom mixture and cook until about 2/3 cup liquid remains and sauce thickens. Add cream and continue to cook sauce until desired consistency (I like my sauce a bit thick). Thin with remaining beef broth if needed. Reduce heat to low and cover pan.

Pat dry steaks and season with salt and pepper.  In a medium frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat.  When butter is hot and foaming, add steaks, and cook (turning once) about 3-5 minutes per side depending on thickness (I finished my steaks on a rack in the oven).

Once your steaks are done, add them to the pan with mushroom sauce and turn steaks a few times in the sauce to coat steaks in sauce.  Season sauce to taste.

Notes:

* I think the recipe would be nice with a roast in the oven; adding the cream at the end or sliced sirloin (like a stroganoff) over noodles or rice

I added flour to my sauce in this recipe because the sauce never thickened up with just cream.  You really need a roux to accomplish.