Wonderful!
Filet of Beef with Marcillac Wine Sauce
Photo: Christopher Hirsheimer
SERVES 4
We came across these steaks in Laguiole, France—a small French mountain town known for its superlative steak knives—where we enjoyed them with a bacon-spiked potato cake.
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
3 tbsp. cognac
1 cup red wine vinegar
3 cups marcillac, cahors, or other hearty red wine
3 cups veal stock
Cracked black pepper
4 6-oz. beef filets, each about 1 1⁄2" thick
Coarse salt
2 tbsp. butter, cubed
1. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a heavy pot over medium heat, add carrots, celery, and onions, and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Add cognac and carefully ignite with a kitchen match; when flames die out, add vinegar, wine, veal stock, and 1 tbsp. pepper. Reduce heat to low and reduce sauce by three-quarters, about 1 1/2 hours. Strain, discard solids, and set sauce aside.
2. Season filets to taste with salt. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until hot. Add filets and cook for 7 minutes on each side, then transfer to four plates. Reduce heat to medium, add sauce to skillet, whisk in butter, then spoon sauce over filets.
