No pictures please... a delicious dinner with friends...

Over the weekend, the Irishman and I were dinner hosts to dear friends at the Irishman’s home. I cooked, and the Irishman set his usual beautiful table and kept the wine and music flowing throughout the night. That was the easy part… deciding what to serve was difficult. As I have often cooked for these friends, I wanted to cook something I had not yet cooked for them, and of course, it had to align with the Irishman’s palete. After coffee on the stoop, we decided that filet mignon would be on the menu that evening. Excited with the prospect of cooking steak, I confessed to the Irishman that cooking steak at home was something I did not feel like I had conquered yet. Still, I was ready to try again, so I went to my cookbook library and did some old-fashioned research with my books and not the Google machine. With help from Gaby Dalkin’s Take it Easy Cookbook, I found the reassurance I needed and knew, “I got this!”

Dinner came together beautifully; as the steaks rested, I sauteed the mushrooms, roasted the potatoes, made the Stilton butter, and prepped the vegetables. I baked the cake and sweetened the creme fraiche at my place earlier in the day. ( I will post this recipe later this week). The Irishman and I like to serve family style, so we served the steaks on one platter with rounds of Stilton Butter melting on top of the steaks with the sauteed mushrooms scattered around. The potatoes and vegetables were served in their own bowls.

My first bite of the steak was sublime and, frankly, just damn delicious. The Stilton butter, along with the mushrooms, was the added salty, fatty, funky umami that the steak needed. Each bite was more delicious than the last. Needless to say, the dinner was a hit, and I may just make the Irishman a steak dinner later this week.

I meant to take a picture of what was happening in the kitchen that evening, but the desire to be present for our friends and the Irishman was far more important to me than taking some pictures…

Reverse Seared Filet Mignon – with sauteed mushrooms and Stilton butter

The secrets to a perfectly cooked steak at home are simple: quality meat, allowing the meat to rest before cooking, generously seasoning just before cooking, using a perfect meat thermometer, sheet pan, and a saute or grill pan.

4 filet mignons (4 – 6 ounces each)

Olive Oil

Salt and Freshly cracked black pepper (I prefer Maldon Sea Salt)

1 pound fresh mushrooms sliced

2 tablespoons butter

4 ounces softened unsalted butter

4 – 6 ounces stilton cheese

Remove filets from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature before you cook them. Salt and pepper generously on both sides before you place the steaks in the oven. With a reverse sear, most of the cooking is at a low temperature , then a quick sear in an extremely hot pan on the stovetop.

While the steaks are coming to room temperature, preheat the oven to 250. Drizzle some olive oil on a sheet pan. Place the seasoned steaks on the sheet pan and in the oven, setting a timer for 10 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven, flip the steaks, place them back in the oven, and set a timer for another 10 minutes. While the steaks are in the oven, start heating a saute pan; it needs to be very hot for the sear to work properly. Remove the steaks from the oven and check that the internal temperature reads 120.

When the pan is hot enough, drizzle a bit of olive oil in a pan and place the steaks in that pan. Sear for 3- 4 minutes, turn steaks over, and sear another 3-4 minutes. Remove the steaks from the heat, place them on a warmed platter, and allow them to rest for a few minutes.

While resting, place a round of the Stilton butter on top of each saute and scatter the sauteed mushrooms all around.

Sauteed Mushrooms

1 pound sliced mushrooms

salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

Heat your favorite saute pan and add a good glug of olive oil, butter, and sliced mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms till the start to turn golden brown, generously season with salt, pepper and your favored seasoning. Set aside. These can be made earlier in the day and reheated.

Stilton Butter

4 ounces Stilton cheese

4 - 6 ounces softened unsalted butter

Freshly cracked black pepper

Cream together butter and cheese till thoroughly mixed. Add several turns of a good pepper mill and mix well. Place butter on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment and form into a log. Chill for at least an hour. Butter will keep in the refrigerator or can be frozen.

         Bia maith leat.  Bon Appetit. Spis godt