Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce
Filet mignon covered with a thick red wine and balsamic sauce, inspired by Acqua Al 2 in Florence, Italy.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time25 minutes mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 2
- 2 8-10 ounce tenderloin beef filets (filet mignon) roughly 2 inches thick
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- chopped parsley or rosemary garnish optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 garlic clove whole
Red wine reduction
- 1/2 cup dry red wine I like Chianti
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar packed
- pinch of salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 415°F. Remove the steak from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking, this is to bring the steak to room temperature and ensure your cooking times are more accurate. Season all sides liberally with salt and pepper. This can be done while your steak comes to room temp.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil (all you need is a very light coating) to an oven-safe cast iron skillet and turn the heat up high, allowing the skillet to become very hot. Twirl the pan to distribute oil as it heats. Once the oil starts to smoke, place the filets face down and sear undisturbed for 2 minutes. Flip the filets and sear for an additional 2 minutes. This will give your filets a nice seared edge.
Optionally add some herb butter and a whole garlic clove/herbs to the pan before transferring it to the oven. The butter will melt and the herbs will season the pan drippings for a later step. Transfer your skillet directly to the oven. [WARNING] skillet may be hot, handle it with oven mitts. For rare, bake for 4 minutes. Medium rare, 5-6 minutes. Medium, 6-7 minutes. Medium well, 8-9 minutes.Remember, depending on the size of the steak, the more or less time it will take. This recipe is ideal for an 8-10 ounce portion, roughly 1.5-2 inches thick. Optionally spoon some of the seasoned pan drippings over the steak to infuse it with extra flavor.
Top each filet with as much balsamic glaze as desired. Serve immediately.
For the red wine reduction
For the red wine reduction whisk together wine, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring frequently so the vinegar/wine doesn’t burn. Simmer until reduced by half or desired thickness is reached. Usually 10-15 minutes. The glaze will continue to thicken as it cools.
Cooking steaks at high temps in a skillet tends to get smokey. Open a kitchen window and turn on your kitchen's overhead vent fan before you start to help with ventilation.
Temperatures for steak
Rare: 120°F to 125°F
Medium rare: 125°F to 130°F
Medium: 135°F to 140°F
Medium well: 145°F to 150°F
Well done: 160°F and above
Serving: 1steak | Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.1g | Protein: 37.1g | Fat: 17.4g | Saturated Fat: 8.1g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 201mg | Sugar: 5.1g