Seared Filet Mignon Steaks with Maytag Blue Cheese Butter and Red Wine Sauce

From Omaha Steaks

This recipe is a wee bit complicated and involved.

But don't let that scare you.

The instructions are very good and the results are more than worth it.

Ingredients: 

Maytag Blue Cheese Butter

• ½ cup Maytag blue cheese
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

Red Wine Sauce 

• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup finely diced onion
• 20 black peppercorns
• ½ cup Cabernet Sauvignon Wine
• 2 cups Veal Stock
  

Steaks

• 4 Omaha Steaks Filet Mignon steaks, about 8 ounces each, sliced crosswise into 2 medallions (The Weekend Grillers think that Filet Mignons are overrated and bland. We always choose Omaha Steaks Ribeyes, Sirloins or T-Bones. They work just fine.)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

Directions:

Blue Cheese Butter

1. whisk together the cheese and butter in a mixing bowl and refrigerate until set.

Sauce 

1. Heat the butter in a sauté pan.
2. Add the onion and sauté over medium-high heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion turns translucent.
3. Add the peppercorns and sauté 2 to 3 minutes longer.
4. Add the wine and reduce the mixture until almost dry.
5. Add the stock and reduce the liquid by half.
6. Remove the pan from the heat, strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan or double boiler, and keep warm.

Steaks and final Instructions 

1. Dust the Filet Mignons (or better cuts - Mark) with salt and pepper then grill to the desired doneness.
2. Place the steaks on a plate and top immediately with a dollop of the blue cheese butter.
3. Spoon the sauce over the butter and meat and serve immediately.

Here are a couple of stategies for using complicated recipes like this you may consider:

• Save them for very special occasions such as anniversaries or impressing the new inlaws. 
• Use just some of the "ideas" from the recipe when you do not have time to make the whole thing. For example -- The Maytag Blue Cheese Butter in this recipe is way too good to save for just this recipe or even just for steak. We use it on everything from Baked Potatoes to Garlic Toast.

Note #1: Food History Lesson (from Omaha Steaks) -- Steak and blue cheese are a traditional paring - both have rich and complex flavors and complementary soft textures. Maytag cheese was developed at the University of Iowa and named after Fritz Maytag of home appliance fame, who provided the funding for the development. If you can't find Maytag Blue (Whole Foods has it -- Mark) you can use a good-quality imported blue cheese.

Note #2: If you can't find veal stock just use Chicken or Beef.

The  Weekend Grillers

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