Filet Mignon with Reduced Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

*Filet mignon is a French term which means exquisite or dainty fillet. It is a steak cut of beef taken from the tenderloin, or psoas major of the steer or heifer.

There's nothing dramatic in cooking filet mignon. This is a quick, easy and delicious main dish. I have read quiet a few recipes and food articles on how to cook a perfect steak using filet mignon and there is nothing more than seasoning it with salt and pepper enough to bring out the best of this exquisite and luxurious cut.

One key though is to wrap it with bacon to prevent the meat from drying out during the cooking process since it has little marbling (low levels of internal fat).

The meat preferably would be about an inch and a half or two thick and is always cooked in high heat whether you grill, roast, or pan-fry it.

The steak cut I used was thin and has not even reached 1 inch, around ¾ of an inch , so I didn’t put it in the oven for roasting. Talk about online shopping, this is what you get when you don’t hand-pick the meat. Lesson learned. However, I have tried making this with a 2-inch cut before and it was super!

It is best to buy a center-cut tenderloin and portion it to you desired thickness. A 2-inch thick filet mignon would be ideal.

Pan- Seared Filet Mignon with Reduced Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

Side Dishes:

Baked Potatoes with Smoked Paprika Cheddar Cheese
Shiitake Mushrooms and Peas in Butter

2 pc -2-inch thick Filet mignon (room temperature)
1 tbsp. Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven 500F and oil a baking sheet.

Pat the steaks dry with paper towels.
Coat with olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
On moderately high heat, heat 1 tbsp olive oil on a skillet. Brown the filets about 3 minutes on each side without moving it, creating a nice brown crust.
Transfer filets to a shallow baking pan and roast in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes (medium rare).
* proceed with making the sauce while the steak is roasting
Remove from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 5mins.

Reduced Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

100 ml Balsamic Vinegar of good quality
1 tbsp cold butter

In a small saucepan, simmer the balsamic vinegar until reduced by 2/3. Stir in butter until completely melted. The sauce has a velvety smooth texture and coats the back of the spoon. Serve over filet mignon.

Bon Appetit!

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filet_mignon