Beautiful filet mignon steak pan seared with butter, garlic and rosemary, topped with a decadent red wine balsamic reduction. This dish is perfect for any special occasion such as an anniversary, date night or a get together with friends & family. Serve this dish with savory garlic mushrooms and roasted seasonal veggies.

I cook steak about once a month, mostly when my husband and I want to enjoy a nice romantic dinner together. That being said, I am a bit of a snob when it comes to choosing my cut of meat. My favourite cut is the filet mignon. It comes from the tenderloin which lays beneath the ribs right along the backbone and is an extremely tender piece of meat, its relatively lean with very little marbling. If your in the mood to splurge go for the fillet mignon!

If you’re making this dish for a larger group, I would suggest going for the beef tenderloin or a hanger steak. These are great alternatives and very tender cuts of meat. They both can be served as the centrepiece of an elegant dinner family style for your guests. And above all are more affordable options. For a 5 star presentation, simply slice the steaks against the grain going across once the steak has rested a few minutes. This will ensure you have nice thin slices and keep the juices from escaping.

My first choice of meat for this dish was a hanger steak, also known as the butchers cut –hanger because it literally hangs off the cows diaphragm. Unfortunately my local grocery store does not carry this cut and I did not have time to go to the butchers so i went for the slightly better alternative the fillet mignon. The hanger steak comes from the section right under the rib primal with a higher fat content which is where skirt steak comes from. These both take really well to marinades and are best when grilled at high heat. We did not marinate the meat in this recipe but if you have enough time simply marinate the meat with a bit of red wine, garlic, balsamic and salt & pepper 20-10 minutes before cooking and allow the steak to come to a room temperature before you throw it on the grill or in a pan.

If you’ve never cooked filet mignon on the stove top and oven, don’t worry its very simple. Sear both sides of the fillets for 2 minutes in an oven safe skillet ideally a cast iron. This will give you a nice crust. Once seared transfer your cast iron skillet to the oven and cook for about 5-6 minutes for a nice medium rare. If you decide to go with a beef tenderloin or hanger steak these are best cooked on the grill for about 5-6 minutes per side for a nice medium rare.

What really brings this dish together is the red wine reduction. The sauce is rich and adds a wonderful depth of flavour to the steaks that is perfect for special occasions. I am not a big cooker with wine however my other half is a huge fan of cooking with wines and alcohols. When I do use it in recipes it just makes the dinner that much more special because we get to indulge with each bite. I used a dry red wine such as a cabernet sauvignon, nothing too expensive, just choose something you know you will enjoy the taste of since you will be coating your steak with this sauce. And of course that you enjoy enough to finish off the rest of the bottle with your dinner 🙂

We decided to serve this dish with simple roasted vegetables to keep things somewhat healthy. I went with what’s in season such as roasted brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes which can easily be doubled for a larger crowd.

Print Recipe

FILET MIGNON WITH RED WINE REDUCTION

Beautiful filet mignon steak pan seared with butter, garlic and rosemary, topped with a decadent red wine balsamic reduction. This dish is perfect for any special occasion such as an anniversary, date night or a get together with friends & family. Serve this dish with savory garlic mushrooms and roasted veggies.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Date Night

Servings: 2

Author: the communal feast

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 12 ounces assorted mushrooms
• 4 tbsp butter unsalted
• 2 filet mignon steaks or 1 ½ pound of hanger steak trimmed
• Fresh ground pepper
• Kosher salt
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Fresh rosemary
• 2 cups dry red wine cabernet
• ¾ cup beef broth
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Sides –Roasted Brussels sprouts with sweet potatoes
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 large handful of Brussels sprouts
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

To make the roasted veggies:

• Set oven to 375 degrees F
• Line a baking sheet with foil
• Peel your sweet potato and cut into small cubes –they will cook faster and place on baking sheet
• Slice your Brussel sprouts and add to baking sheet
• Drizzle olive oil, thyme, cumin and salt and pepper over the veggies. Toss with your hands until everything is perfectly coated. Bake for 25 minutes. For crispy caramelized Brussel sprouts, set the oven to broil just before removing your veggies and let them crisp for 1-2 minutes.
• For the Steak: (If grilling read notes above)
• Set oven to 400 degrees F. In a cast iron skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter with remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium heat. Rub steaks with olive oil and season with salt and cracked pepper. Add steak, garlic, and rosemary to skillet. Cook about 2 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to oven and bake for about 5-6 minutes depending on the thickness of your meat, you’re looking for a nice medium-rare finish. Transfer to a cutting board. Let rest while preparing sauce.
• While your steak is cooking. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. De glaze pan with a splash of red wine and cook down for about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
• To make the red wine reduction
• In a sauce pan, add wine and cook for about 2 minutes, add in balsamic vinegar and beef broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Sauce should thicken once you remove from the heat but if it looks a little too thin, add in some flour and whisk the chunks for a smooth consistency.
• Remove from heat; Whisk in 3 tablespoons butter.
• To serve
• Place thin slices of steak onto your plate, spoon over red wine reduction and top with roasted mushrooms and fresh rosemary. Serve with roasted brussel sprouts and sweet potato and a glass of red wine.