Filet Mignon with Balsamic Red Wine Reduction and Blue Cheese Butter.

I rarely indulge in red meat but when I do I always opt for the filet mignon. It's the lowest in fat among beef cuts (a 6-oz serving of broiled beef tenderloin has 370 calories if all fat is cut off), yet supremely tender. The flavor is a little muted making it a perfect accompaniment to bolder toppings and side dishes but it still presents so beautifully: the thicker the cut (2 1/2 inches or more), the more impressive and tasty.

I made this meal for Valentine's Day but The Offspring ended up extremely ill with an intestinal virus which is why it's going up here so woefully late. In the words of my friend Arlene, how we managed to cook such a delicious-looking meal while dealing with two very physically ill children is beyond me. The fact that I had just scored this Prime-grade beef and I was not about to let it sit in the fridge and age may have had something to do with it.

Also, notice the simple sides: waffle cut fries and steamed broccoli. Passable, if you are juggling sick children, but given a bit more time and less stress I would have gone with any of these for a starch: roasted red bliss potatoes with garlic and rosemary, creamy polenta, risotto, etc. And for a vegetable, any of the following would have been outstanding as well: sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, or baby bok choy.

Ingredients:

Filets

4, 6 - 8 oz filets mignons, at least 2 inches thick
Salt & pepper
Grapeseed or canola oil

Blue Cheese Butter (courtesy Cook's Illustrated)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), softened
3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1 small shallot , minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 small clove garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1/2 teaspoon)

Balsamic and Red Wine Reduction (my own recipe)
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons corn syrup

The first thing you should do before you start ANY prep is remove the filets from the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes up to one hour. If you don't, you risk drying out the exterior of the meat before you've given the inside a chance to cook through. Allowing the meat to come to room temperature helps it cook evenly.

Look at these gorgeous cuts! Ours were definitely thicker than 2 inches but we adjusted our cooking time accordingly. Season the meat with salt and pepper and brush it very lightly with the oil. This helps develop a nice crust and helps seal seasonings and juices.

While the meat is coming to temperature, prepare the blue cheese butter and the balsamic red wine reduction and get most of your side dishes ready to go.

Blue Cheese Butter

Gather your ingredients for the blue cheese topping starting with the softened butter.

Add the blue cheese...

The shallot (notice I'm using scallions; I didn't have any shallots)...

The garlic...

Salt...

Pepper...

And mash very well with a fork. Voilà, ready for use. Set aside.

Instructions:

Balsamic & Red Wine Reduction
(One of the reasons I was able to get this meal done even more quickly than normal is I had some balsamic and red wine reduction already prepped in the fridge. Unfortunately I did not take pictures when I made this recipe a few weeks ago, but it's so easy you really won't need the visual aid. This recipe makes enough for a few uses. DO NOT throw out the leftovers. Store leftover reduction in plastic container.) 

- Combine the wine and corn syrup in a small saucepan.

- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Boil until reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. The sauce should lightly coat the back of a spoon. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

**Recommended variation: Substitute 2 cups balsamic vinegar for the wine to make a balsamic reduction; 2 cups red wine to make a red wine reduction.**

Filet

- If you are using a charcoal grill, ignite about 6 quarts (1 large chimney, or about 2 ½ pounds) hardwood charcoal and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash, about 15 minutes. 

- Grill is ready when the bulk of the layer of coals is medium-hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill grate for 3 to 4 seconds). 

Grill steaks, uncovered, on hotter side of grill until well browned on each side. 

For rare/medium-rare (120º - 125º) 4 -6 minutes per side. Grill for about 8 minutes for medium (130º), or 9 to 10 minutes for medium-well/well (135º to 140º). As you can see, we prefer our meat quite rare.

Transfer steaks to platter and let rest 5 minutes; serve sitting on a couple of tablespoon-fuls of reduction and topped with the blue cheese butter.