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Filet Mignon Recipe with Easy Pan Sauce | Umami Girl 780-2
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4.81 from 26 votes

Pan Seared Filet Mignon with Shallot Herb Pan Sauce

Pan seared filet mignon with shallot herb pan sauce makes an elegant, elevated meal. And it truly couldn't be quicker or easier. If you'd like to scale this recipe up to feed four people, you can double the amount of meat without altering the amount of sauce. You'll still have just enough.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Beef
Cuisine: American
Keyword: filet mignon pan sauce, pan seared filet mignon
Calories: 464kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Equipment

Ingredients

For the filets

  • 2 6- ounce 170-gram filets mignons
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) safflower oil

For the pan sauce

  • 3 tablespoons (42 grams) butter, divided
  • 1 medium shallot minced (about ⅓ cup)
  • 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 large sprig fresh thyme
  • 1 small sprig fresh sage
  • ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine
  • ½ teaspoon (3 grams) dijon mustard

Instructions

For the filets

  • If your filets are thicker than 1 ½ inches, preheat oven to 400°F with a rack in the center.
  • Pat filets dry with paper towels and season with the salt and pepper.
  • Heat a 12-inch cast iron pan over high heat until very hot.
  • Carefully pour in oil and coat bottom of pan by swirling or spreading with a spatula.
  • Place filets in pan and cook undisturbed for three minutes to sear. Flip once and cook about three minutes more. At this point, thinner steaks may be done.
  • If meat does not yet read 125°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center, you can continue searing for another minute or two — or, if you've got a ways to go, transfer pan to the oven.
  • If necessary, transfer pan to oven and cook just until meat reads 125°F on an instant read thermometer inserted into the center. Depending on thickness this will take from two to more than five minutes, so check early and often. The filet will continue to cook off the heat, so pulling it out of the pan at 125°F (or even a little before, if you like), will yield a beautiful, true medium-rare (130°) finished product
  • Transfer filets to a plate or cutting board to rest while you make the pan sauce.

For the pan sauce

  • If pan still contains any cooking oil, pour it off, leaving any browned bits in the pan.
  • Back on the stovetop, add one tablespoon of the butter to hot pan and carefully swirl to melt. (You can be slow to turn the heat on under the burner, since the pan will be very hot. When you do, set heat to medium.)
  • Add shallot and herbs and cook, stirring frequently, until shallot softens, about two minutes.
  • Add wine and mustard and stir to incorporate any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
  • Simmer for two to three minutes, until liquid is reduced by about half.
  • Off the heat, swirl in remaining butter, along with any juices that have accumulated while the meat rests.

To serve

  • Serve filets whole or sliced, as you like, with pan sauce spooned overtop.
  • You can leave herbs in the pan or, if you like, pick off a few of the rosemary and thyme leaves and serve with the sauce.

Notes

  1. Safflower oil is my high-smoke-point, neutral-tasting vegetable oil of choice. You can substitute another oil that has similar properties, such as canola, sunflower, peanut, corn, or vegetable oil blend.
  2. Thyme, sage, and rosemary all work beautifully — you can use any or all of them that you've got.
  3. Mince the shallot (nice and small) so its texture enhances the sauce rather than getting in the way.
  4. A tiny bit of dijon mustard adds subtle flavor and also emulsifies the sauce, so don't skip it.
  5. I've called for a dry white wine that you enjoy drinking, but you can use a light red like pinot noir, or beef broth, if you prefer.
  6. Use a really good-quality butter if you can. Here and virtually everywhere, I start with a cultured, salted butter from grass-fed cows. This sounds fancy but doesn't have to be. Kerrygold, for example, is sold in most supermarkets at a reasonable price.
  7. This recipe comes together quickly and shines shortly after that, so I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to make it in advance. That said, leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. Reheat gently to preserve the steak's tenderness and the silkiness of the sauce. You can do this on half power in the microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 464kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.9g | Protein: 39.4g | Fat: 28g | Fiber: 0.5g