As the holiday season approaches or a special celebration is on the horizon, there’s no better way to elevate the festivities than with a rich steak dinner. Filet mignon with mushroom cream sauce effortlessly combines simplicity and sophistication, making it the perfect centerpiece for your festive dinner table.
Ingredients for Filet with Mushroom Sauce
Filet Mignon: The filet mignon, chosen for its tenderness and mild flavor, undergoes a sear-then-roast method, ensuring its perfectly cooked to become the focal point of this dish.
Cremini Mushrooms: Sautéed cremini mushrooms add an earthy depth and satisfying texture, harmonizing seamlessly with the filet’s sweetness, creating a balanced and delightful palate.
Beef Broth: Beef broth serves as the robust base for the mushroom cream sauce, infusing a rich umami flavor that ties together the shallots, garlic, thyme, and mushrooms, elevating the overall savory profile.
Shallot and Garlic: Finely minced shallots and garlic, sautéed to golden perfection, provide a sweet-savory aromatic backbone, enhancing the sauce’s depth and character.
Thyme: Thyme introduces herbal freshness, complementing the richness of the filet and earthiness of the mushrooms, adding a nuanced and sophisticated layer to the dish.
Heavy Cream: Heavy cream imparts a luxurious, velvety texture to the mushroom cream sauce, balancing the flavors
Steak and Mushrooms
Mushrooms and steak form a great pairing due to their complementary flavors and textures. The earthy and umami notes of mushrooms enhance the robustness of the steak, creating a harmonious blend.
Choice of Steaks
Filet mignon boasts a unique tenderness and subtle flavor profile that sets it apart. Derived from the tenderloin, this cut is notably lean, making it a favorite for those who appreciate a more refined, melt-in-your-mouth experience.
Sear then Roast Method for Steaks
The sear-then-roast method employed in this recipe is a simple way to lock in the filet mignon’s natural juices. By searing the steak for a brief two minutes on each side at high heat, a caramelized crust forms on the surface, creating a barrier that seals in moisture. This method not only enhances the steak’s flavor but also ensures it won’t be overcooked
The two-step process of searing followed by roasting at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for seven minutes allows for a controlled and efficient cooking method. Searing imparts a deep, caramelized flavor, while the subsequent roast gently cooks the filet mignon to perfection. This combination guarantees a juicy, medium-rare center that showcases the steak’s inherent qualities without unnecessary embellishments.
Interested in more Cozy Recipes
This steak dinner is a delicious, more celebratory variation of my creamy mushroom pasta with burrata
You also can’t go wrong with an Orzo dish in the winter, like this Creamy rosemary orzo with shrimp.
For a light side, I love making the most of winter produce and eating this Shaved Fennel salad.
Filet with Mushroom Sauce
Equipment
- 2 Cast Iron Skillets
- 1 Blender or Immersion Blender
Ingredients
Mushroom Cream Sauce
- 4 Tbsp Butter
- 10 Oz Cremini Mushrooms sliced
- 2 Shallots Diced
- 5 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 2 Cups Beef Broth
- ⅔ Cup Heavy Cream or Half and Half
- 2 Thyme sprigs
- 2 Tbsp Truffle Salt optional
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Filets
- 4 Filet Mignon Steaks 6 Oz
- Salt
- 3 Tbsp Freshly ground black peppercorns for peppercorn crust optional
- 3 Tbsp Butter
- 2 Garlic Cloves Crushed
- 3 Thyme Sprigs
Instructions
Steak Preparation
- Pat filets dry and season thoroughly with salt. Let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.
- If using a peppercorn crust, grind the peppercorns in either a spice or coffee bean grinder, or blender. Pat on all sides of the filets.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
Cream Mushroom Sauce
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add butter. Let butter melt completely for 5 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and stir. Cook until the liquid has evaporated, roughly 8 minutes.
- Add shallots, garlic, thyme, and beef broth. Stir to combine and cook for 15 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half. Add heavy cream and cook for 10 more minutes. Add truffle salt, salt, and pepper to taste
- Transfer to blender and blend until smooth. Add back into cast iron skillet. Cover skillet with lid and let cook on lowest heat setting until steaks are ready. Avoid letting it cool as it will thicken.
Steaks
- Add butter thyme and garlic to a second cast iron skillet over high heat. Let the butter get melted an hot before adding the filets. Then sear the filets for 2 minutes on both sides. Baste with the butter while they are searing.
- Transfer to oven and cook for 7 munutes. Remove when the filets have an internal temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once cooked through, Transfer to the skillet with the mushroom cream sauce to serve.
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