Sounds ultra-fancy, doesn’t it?  Well, I hate to disappoint, but this took me about 20 minutes to make, and with almost no pre-prep.  No excuses anymore!

So we’ve been gifted with some very fine cuts of meat from Omaha Steaks for Christmas, and since we’ve been spending the bulk of our grocery money on parties, said cuts of meat have been a welcome addition into our inventory, as it helps us stretch the time between shopping trips.  I almost always have some form of sliced mushrooms in the house since I can use them in almost anything, and likewise with beef bouillion.  So, here we go: (this makes a simple meal for two, in case you’re keeping track)

The goods:

2 filet mignon or other tender cut, about 4 – 5 oz each

salt

pepper

olive oil

1 package (16oz, I think) sliced mushrooms (I use cremini or baby bella)

dijon or other strong mustard, about 1 Tablespoon

beef broth, 1 to 1.5 cups

flour

milk

The method:

– Get a good thick (I like nonstick) skillet nice and hot over medium/medium-high heat.

– Rub your steaks with the olive oil, then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

– Lay them down into your hot skillet.  Don’t fear the sizzling! Leave them until they get a good sear.  This will take a few minutes.

– Flip the steaks. Get the new side nice and seared. Cook your steaks until they are at your desired doneness.

* As a side note here, I find that for something as tender as filet mignon my standard “poke the meat to see if it’s done” test fails every time.  Get yourself a thermometer.  Trust me.  I like my steaks at about 145 degrees (that’s a medium/medium rare) but you can take them to whatever temp you like.  There’s plenty of online charts to tell you what temp you need to get to.

– Once steaks are cooked (actually, you can pull them when they’re about 5 degrees shy of your target; they will carry themselves right over into the perfect range) remove them to a clean plate and cover with foil while you build your sauce.

– In the same hot skillet, stream in a bit of olive oil (2 tablespoons maybe?) and dump in your mushrooms.  Saute until tender.

– Throw in your mustard and stir to dissolve.

– Sprinkle on a couple tablespoons of flour and cook for a couple minutes.  Your mushrooms will soak up the flour and you will get a paste.  Don’t worry, that’s supposed to happen.

– Slowly pour in the beef stock, stirring constantly.  Cook until your gravy boils and slightly thickens.

– Thin out with some milk.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

– Return steaks to simmering sauce for a couple minutes to re-warm.

To plate:

Put steak on plate.  Pour mushroom gravy over.  Dig in!