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.
Ingredients
- 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 1½" thick
- Coarse salt
- 2 tbsp. butter, cubed
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Instructions
Step 1
Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a heavy pot over medium heat, add carrots, celery, and onions, and saute 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 ½ hours. Strain, discard solids, and set sauce aside.
Step 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.
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