Name: Filet Mignon with Peppercorn Cream
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 center-cut tenderloin steaks , about 1 inch thick; Salt; 4 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 shallot , minced; 3/4 cup white wine; 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves

Why This Recipe Works

A traditional skillet, not nonstick, produced a superior sear. It was also important to use a pan large enough to accommodate the steaks without them touching. In the past, we have found that four steaks can usually fit into a 12-inch skillet.

Preparing the sauce for our recipe for Filet Mignon with Peppercorn Cream in the same pan in which we cooked the steaks built layers of flavor. The browned bits left behind added valuable flavor to the sauce.

Before You Begin

To ensure even cooking, choose center-cut tenderloin steaks of a consistent size and shape and avoid pieces from the tapered end of the tenderloin.

Instructions

Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt. Rub top and bottom of steaks evenly with 3 teaspoons pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steaks until well browned and meat registers 125 degrees for medium-rare, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to serving platter and tent with foil.

Add remaining oil and shallot to empty skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in wine, broth, and cream, and simmer, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in tarragon, remaining pepper, and any accumulated steak juices. Season with salt. Pour sauce over steaks. Serve.