Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon with Cabernet Reduction

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Whether it's a dinner party, date night, a birthday, or just a wear-high-heels-and-have-perfect-posture Tuesday, sometimes breakfast for dinner or a simple pasta dish doesn't cut it.

This blue cheese crusted filet mignon with cabernet reduction is loved by all of my taste testers, spanning three generations and many different food preferences, and it's a pretty dish perfect for any fancy evening in!

I'm not going to pretend that this is 'quick and easy' as you should definitely give yourself a solid hour to prepare this dish along with the sides (I recommend mashed potatoes and garlic spinach), but the big smiles and rave reviews are well worth the effort. Read on for how to make a restaurant-quality steak dinner at home!

Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon with Cabernet Reduction

Serves 4

* 1 Tbsp. butter

* 0.5 c. minced white onion

* 3 cloves garlic, minced

* 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

* 0.75 c. low-sodium beef broth

* 0.5 c. cabernet sauvignon or port wine

* 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

* 4 filet mignon steaks (1.5" thick each)

* 0.75 c. crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese

* 0.25 c. panko bread crumbs

Can make the reduction (steps 1+2) ahead and warm up:

1) Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sautee the onions for a minute or less, then add the minced garlic, and chopped thyme. Cook, stirring constantly, until the onion is tender.

2) Stir in the beef broth and then, a minute or less later, add the cabernet or port wine. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture has been reduced to about 0.5 - 0.75 c. Set aside.

3) Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).  

4) Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet pan over high heat. Sear the steaks quickly to brown on both sides, then place the whole pan in the oven. DO NOT cook the steaks - just sear them for ~3 minutes total, otherwise you'll have gray steaks by the time they're done in the oven.

5) Roast the steaks in the oven for 15 minutes for medium rare. While they roast, mix together the crumbled cheese and the panko bread crumbs in a small mixing bowl, until well combined.

6) Remove the pan from the oven and transfer them to a greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Top the steaks evenly with the cheese-bread crumb mixture.

7) Broil the steak for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese topping is browned and bubbly.

8) Remove the steaks from the oven and let rest for ~15 minutes before serving. A little longer is fine, but try not to serve them less than fifteen minutes after removing from the oven.

9) Serve the steaks on a bed of a mashed potatoes, topped with the warm cabernet or port wine reduction from steps 1+2. 

Garlic spinach goes well with this on the side and it's best and most picturesque served on a bed of mashed potatoes, so I would't recommend skipping that step!

Excited for date night in? Tweet it!