Filet Mignon Steaks With Merlot Sauce and Wild Mushrooms

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Merlot Sauce

• 3  tablespoons light olive oil
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  onion, diced
• 1  small carrot, sliced
• 1  stalk celery, sliced
• 1  tablespoon tomato paste
• 2  cups  good-quality  merlot
• 3  bay leaves
• 1  pinch dried thyme
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 3  cups  veal stock

• Steaks

• 4  filet mignon steaks, 7 to 8 oz. each
•  salt
•  fresh ground black pepper
• 3  tablespoons light olive oil

• Wild Mushrooms

• 2  tablespoons  minced shallots
• 1  lb  wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, morels or 1  lb porcini mushroom
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. To prepare the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan.
2. Add the garlic, onion, carrot, and celery, and sauté over medium heat for about 7 or 8 minutes, until the onion is lightly browned.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 2 minutes.
4. Deglaze the pan with the wine and then stir in the bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorns.
5. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and reduce by half.
6. Add the stock and return to a boil.
7. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the sauce, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, until reduced to about 2 cups of liquid.
8. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan and keep warm.
9. Season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper.
10. Heat the oil in a sauté pan, add the steaks to the hot pan, and sear over medium-high heat for about 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare or about 7 minutes per side for medium.
11. Remove the steaks from the pan and keep warm.
12. Add the shallots and mushrooms to the same pan and sauté over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until lightly brown.
13. Add the Merlot sauce and bring to a simmer.
14. Reduce the liquid by half and stir in the butter until thoroughly incorporated.
15. Add the parsley just before serving.
16. Place the steaks in the center of warm serving plates or shallow serving bowls and spoon the mushrooms and sauce over and around the filets.
17. Serve immediately.
18. Serve with Garlic Mashed Potatoes.