This is a delicious, rich, umami-laden sauce that is made for beef….filet mignon, porterhouse, rib-eye, flank steak, etc. Your choice. Enjoy!

4-6 servings

For the Red Wine Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons. olive oil

• 1 small onion chopped

• 1 small tart green apple unpeeled, chopped

• 1 celery stalk, chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 750 ml bottle Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry full-bodied red wine

• 1 cup ruby or tawny port

• 1 cup beef stock

• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, or a ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• 5 tablespoons butter

• 1 lb. assorted wild mushrooms wiped clean, stemmed, and sliced (shiitake, crimini, oyster, beech, etc. I often use 1/3 shitake and 2/3 crimini.)

• 2 tablespoons minced shallots

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)

• ½ teaspoon cornstarch mixed in a tablespoon of cold water (optional

Directions:

1. Saute the first 5 ingredients.

2. Add the wine, thyme, port, and beef stock and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to about 1 ¼ cups.

3. Strain through a medium wire mesh strainer, pressing down the vegetables to extract as much flavor and juice as possible, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. In a separate pan, melt 2 tbs butter and sauté mushrooms and shallots until golden brown

5. Add wine reduction to the mushrooms and bring to simmer.

6. Remove from heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons butter and the Dijon.

7. If you want a slightly thicker sauce, whisk the cornstarch and water to create a smooth slurry and slowly whisk it into the wine sauce. Bring sauce to a simmer to thicken and remove from heat.

Cook the Filet Mignon:

• 6 one inch thick Filet Mignon steaks patted dry with a paper towel

• salt and pepper to taste, or

• Montreal Steak Seasoning (optional)

1. Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil.

2. Add 3 filets at a time, and cook for 2 minutes; turn over and cook an additional 2 minutes for medium-rare.

3. Remove from skillet, set aside, and tent.

4. Add remaining filets and cook as above.

5. Remove from heat and tent with the other filets.

6. Pour the wine sauce into the skillet and bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits of caramelized crust from cooking the beef.

7. Spoon the sauce over the filets just before serving.