Beef Filet With Wine Sauce
- 3 1/4 cups dry red wine (a 750 ml bottle)
- 4 cups water
- 4 plump garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
- 1 cup onion, chopped in 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 cup carrot, chopped in 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 cup celery, chopped in 1/4-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup loosely packed dried funghi porcini (about 1/2 ounce)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 lbs beef tenderloin, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Pour the wine and water into a 4-quart saucepan , and drop in the garlic, onion, carrot, celery, porcini, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Bring to a boil, set the cover ajar, adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and cook for an hour or more, until the vegetables have exhausted all their flavors and the liquid level has reduced by half.
- Set a sieve over a bowl, and pour the entire contents of the saucepan into it, straining out the solids and collecting the sauce in the bowl.
- Press the vegetables with a big spoon to release more sauce.
- Rinse the saucepan, pour the strained sauce back into it, and bring to a boil.
- Cook, uncovered, adjusting the heat so the sauce reduces steadily without scorching, until thickened and flavorful, about 1 1/2 cups in volume.
- Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and keep the sauce warm.
- Meanwhile, tie loops of kitchen twine tightly round the filet to keep it compact, even in shape, and easier to handle.
- Tie the first loops an inch in from either end of the filet, and more loops at 2-inch intervals along the length.
- When you are ready to cook the filet, sprinkle the remaining teaspoon salt all over its surface.
- Pour the olive oil into a 12-inch saute pan or skillet; set it over med-high heat, and put in the beef.
- Pan-sear the filet for 15 minutes, more or less, depending on how well-done or rare you like it.
- Frequently roll and shift the tied meat in the pan, so it cooks and colors evenly on all sides, until crusty on the outside and med-rare inside.
- Turn off the heat and put filet on a warm plate.
- To finish the sauce, pour it all into the searing skillet, turn on the heat, and bring the liquid to a boil while scraping up all the browned bits from the skillet bottom.
- Stir to incorporate this flavorful glaze into the sauce as it heats.
- While the sauce is boiling, drop in the cold butter, one piece at a time, vigorously whisking each one to incorporate it fully with the sauce before adding the next piece.
- When the last bit of butter has disappeared in the sauce, turn off the heat and stir in the honey until it disappears.
- To serve: slice the meat crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, snipping and removing the twine loops as you cut.
- Drizzle some of the wine sauce on a warm rimmed serving platter, and arrange the beef slices on top of the sauce (or drizzle a couple spoonfuls of sauce on rimmed dinner plates and top with individual portions of sliced beef).
- Serve immediately, with remaining sauce in a bowl to be passed at the table.
red wine, water, garlic, onion, carrot, celery, porcini, rosemary, kosher salt, beef tenderloin, extravirgin olive oil, cold butter, honey
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/beef-filet-with-wine-sauce-477755 (may not work)