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Beef recipe

post #1 of 21
5/21/02 at 8:16am
Thread Starter 
Does anyone have any good recipe for filet mignon? I need to cook the beef before it goes bad...so any recipes you have would be greatly appreciated :) BTW, this is probably a stupid question, but is beef tenderloin the same as filet mignon?
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post #2 of 21
5/21/02 at 9:05am
Nope! The tenderloin is the long muscle running along the back of the animal. It contains the Chateaubriand, the fillet, the tournedos, the filet mignon and the tip used for émincé and cubes.

As for cooking filet mignon, there are lots of recipes out there. What do you like? Just keep in mind that it is ultra tender but lacks a bit in the flavour department, so a nice little sauce is a good idea.
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post #3 of 21
5/21/02 at 12:16pm
Suggestion #1, along the lines of what Anneke said: sear it in a really hot pan so that you get a good fond (brown bits stuck on the bottom). Then when the meat is finished cooking, deglaze the pan with red wine, add some minced shallot and beef stock, reduce way down, add some minced fresh herbs, season, and finish with a little cream or swirl in some cold butter.

Suggestion #2: cube the meat and have a beef fondue. Filet mignon is tender enough so that you could cook it this way. And then all the dipping sauces (maybe some bearnaise or choron, bordelaise, etc) will make up for the mild flavor of the meat.
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post #4 of 21
5/21/02 at 12:23pm
I always use filet mignon for Steak au poivre: crushed peppercorns, beef stock, brandy (flambée) and cream.
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post #5 of 21
5/21/02 at 12:31pm
I just thought of Bearnaise sauce. Here's how

Bearnaise Sauce
Makes about 1 cup

2 shallots, finely chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup champagne vinegar (white wine vinegar will do)
4 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 large egg yolks
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh chervil
Salt, to taste

1. Combine shallots, wine, vinegar, 1 tablespoon tarragon, and 2 pinches pepper in a small pot set over medium heat, and reduce to about 2 tablespoons. Set aside to cool.
2. Beat the egg yolks with 2 tablespoons water over low heat for about 2 to 3 minutes or until they become thick and foamy. Add the butter, about a tablespoon at a time, whisking until the mixture thickens and increases in volume.

3. Add the cooled shallot mixture, chervil, and the remaining tarragon. Season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
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post #6 of 21
5/21/02 at 1:38pm
Anneke, though you are right about filet mignon, in common usage, most Americans refer to any steak cut from the tenderloin Filet Mignon.
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post #7 of 21
5/21/02 at 1:42pm
At the risk of being the only snob here, I prefer flambe-ing with a good Armagnac.
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post #8 of 21
5/21/02 at 1:46pm
Pete,
What a shame... I find each so different in texture etc..
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post #9 of 21
5/21/02 at 2:45pm
The Filet Mignon is the "cut" of steak coming from the center of the pismo...

Crushed assorted peppercorns...bluevien cheese, reduced balsamic,fried sage leaves,and oven roast tomato with a touch of demi...(grilled) of course
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post #10 of 21
5/21/02 at 4:36pm
I agree, but if you go into a regular store and see a filet mignon cut, it could be from anywhere on the tenderloin.
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post #11 of 21
5/21/02 at 6:04pm
This is true Pete....
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post #12 of 21
5/21/02 at 6:05pm
I made a pan sauce the other day after pan frying steak (not filet minion) according to a method developed by the folks at Cooks Illustrated.
They contend that deglazing a pan with wine (and especially a varietal) causes enzymes in the wine to break down and leave an "off" aftertaste. What they reccomend is to use a wine with a blend of grapes and treat it like a stock - a cup of wine with a little chopped carrtot, shallot, mushrooms and a couple of sprigs of thyme. Cook this over a low heat so the wine steams but doesn't actually boil and reduces to half a cup. Strain out the solids and reduce some more to about 2 tablespoons.
Then you make your pan sauce in the usual way with chopped shallots and deglaze with chicken stock. Once that has reduced, add the wine reduction and swirl in some butter and fresh thyme.
With this method you get a rich, full flavoured sauce with lots of complexity.

Jock
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post #13 of 21
5/21/02 at 7:42pm
Thread Starter 
The problem I'm having is coming up with a good sauce for the beef. I can always use A1 :rolleyes: but would like to try something different. I will tried the sauces everyone have mentioned in the post.

Jock - when you said wine, do you mean red or white or doesn't matter?

Kimmie - with the Bearnaise Sauce, is the sauce supposed to have a yellowish color or white? The reason I asked is because I had steak at Morton's Restaurant once and they served the Bearnaise Sauce that has a white-ish color. And when I tried to make the sauce couple of weeks ago, my sauce came out yellowish. Did I do something wrong? All input from everyone is greatly appreciated.
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post #14 of 21
5/22/02 at 9:53am
I hope Kimmie and Jock won't mind if I jump in here:

Your Bearnaise was yellowish because of the egg yolks. Absolutely nothing wrong with that! I don't know how they make it at Morton's, but maybe if they do it with pasteurized eggs (for safety reasons), or if their clarified butter is on the pale side, that might make a difference in color. Just guessing on that, though.

If you saute the meat, you've already got a good start on a very flavorful sauce for it -- with the stuff left in the pan. Personally, I like A1 a lot, but a pan sauce would be so much better. Besides, when you can do a pan sauce, you have opened the door to lots and lots of good dishes! Usually, with beef you'd use a red wine, because it has a stronger flavor that won't be overwhelmed by the meat juices (Okay, all you wine experts, I know this is a vast generalization and that there are some really strong whites out there!) Try it first with a red; then when you're comfortable with making a pan sauce, and with the flavors of different wines, you can experiment.
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post #15 of 21
5/22/02 at 12:57pm
Jump in anytime Suzanne; I will never discuss the quality of your posts!

I will ditto Suzanne's answer: it's the egg yolks...

Here are some other ingredients for a good and quick sauce:

Deglaze with Madeira; then add
Tomato, crushed
Worchester Sauce
Dash of water
1 tablespoon of cold butter
Finish with freshly chopped tarragon
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post #16 of 21
5/22/02 at 1:10pm

A1 Quickie/Worcestershire Sub

To the defatted pan juices add (you determine the proportions):

fresh ginger
fresh tamarind
red wine
garlic
s&p
beef stock
anchovy paste
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post #17 of 21
5/22/02 at 9:38pm
I recently created this recipe for topping steaks at home. It will be going on my new menu at the Country Club.

2 anaheim peppers seeded and sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced
8 oz of white mushrooms, sliced
worchestershire sauce
butter
salt
pepper

In a saute pan sweat the onion and the anaheims in butter. Increase the heat, add the mushrooms and saute until all is golden. Deglaze with a good amount of worchestershire. Reduce heat and finish off with some more butter. Pile over a grilled steak.
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post #18 of 21
5/23/02 at 7:39am

Back to the issue of color

I checked with a friend with much more Bearnaise experience than I, and he said the lighter color at the restaurant probably came about because the egg yolks are whipped more over heat so that they can take more butter. Same principle as when you make a cake, and beat the *** out of the eggs so they incorporate more air -- and get a very light yellow mixture out of darker yellow yolks. In this instance, "stretching" the fluid of the yolks over air bubbles gives the butterfat molecules more to grab onto.

In any case, there was still nothing wrong with yours. In fact, in my opinion yours might have been a tad healthier, since it may have been made with proportionally less butter. "Healthier" Bearnaise?? What on earth am I thinking? :rolleyes:
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post #19 of 21
5/23/02 at 2:00pm

Peachcreeks' tenderloin recipe ( or one of them, anyhow)

I press a little cracked pepper onto the sides of the tenderloin and pan-sear it with clarified butter or rendered beef fat. Then I add 3-4 shitake mushroom caps , @ 1 TB garlic herb butter and saute the mushrooms, then flame the pan with Amaretto, reduce it a little and serve with the glazed shitakes and pan drippings. Add a drop or two of water to the pan if the sauce over-reduces and breaks.
Simple and nice, just like me.........lol....
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post #20 of 21
5/23/02 at 2:28pm
Chloe, some wonderful suggestions in this thread but since you asked, I did mean red wine. And again, not a varietal like a Cabernet or Piot Noir. Something blended in the $10 a bottle range.

Jock
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post #21 of 21
5/23/02 at 3:28pm
Pete,

Thank you for sharing a real chef's recipe. Printing as I type...;)
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