Filet Mignon with BORDELAISE SAUCE

This luscious, wine-enriched sauce is often paired with a hanger steak, a shell steak, or a tender filet mignon. Though this sauce is traditionally served with a dollop of beef marrow, I think it is just as delicious finished with a garnish of chopped fresh parsley and rosemary.  This is one that I make at least twice a month.



1    cup          red wine
2    sprigs     fresh thyme
2    each        shallots, finely diced
1    each        bay leaves
6    Tblsp       Demi-Glace
4     each       6 oz filet mignons
                        Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2     Tblsp      canola oil
1     Tblsp      Chilled unsalted butter, diced
1     Tblsp      finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1      tsp          chopped fresh rosemary
1      tsp          chopped fresh thyme
 Directions:   Make the sauce: In a 2-qt. saucepan, combine wine, thyme, shallots, and bay leaf. Reduce wine over medium-high heat until almost completely evaporated. If using a gas stove, tip pan to ignite wine; this will aid in evaporation. Discard the thyme and bay leaf; stir in demi-glace. Cover, remove from heat, and set aside.

      Prepare the filets: Heat oven to 500°. Season filets with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 10" skillet over high heat. Sear steaks, flipping once, until browned, 4-5 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven; roast until steaks are medium rare, 4-5 minutes. Place steaks on a plate; let rest.

      Sauce the steak: Return saucepan to medium heat. Whisk in butter. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in parsley and season sauce with salt and pepper. Transfer steaks to cutting board; add juices from plate to pan and stir. Spoon 2 tbsp. sauce onto each of 4 plates. Slice steak into 1/4"-thick slices; divide between plates. Sprinkle with rosemary and thyme; drizzle each steak with 1 tbsp. sauce. Serve with baby lettuces, if you like. Yields 3/4 cup sauce.