Beef Tenderloin with Marsala
Submitted by asdfgh
Pan-seared filet mignon on a bed of crispy pancetta, finished with a rich Marsala wine and beef stock reduction. An elegant Italian-inspired dinner for six, ready in one hour.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
60 minThis is date-night cooking at its finest. Thick-cut filet mignon gets seared in butter alongside golden pancetta, then bathed in a Marsala wine sauce that reduces into something glossy, dark, and deeply savory.
The pancetta does double duty here. It flavors the butter for searing and then serves as a crispy base for the tenderloin slices on the platter.
Simple enough for a weeknight when you want to feel fancy, impressive enough for a dinner party when the stakes are high.
Pro Tips
- Pat the beef slices bone-dry before they hit the pan. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear.
- Use dry Marsala, not sweet. Sweet Marsala will make the sauce cloying instead of complex.
- If you can find veal stock, use it. The gelatin-rich body takes the sauce from good to restaurant-quality.
- Let the sauce reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. That concentration is where all the magic lives.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat 3 teaspoons butter and pancetta or bacon in a skillet large enough to hold meat in one layer.
Sauté until golden brown. Add onion and sauté until golden.
Remove pancetta or bacon and onion with a slotted spoon.
Reserve bacon and discard onion.
Put beef slices in same skillet and pan-broil until quite brown, about 3 minutes on each side.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add melted butter, wine and stock and lower heat.
Cook 2 more minutes on each side, turning once to coat slices with sauce.
Remove meat, place on top of reserved bacon on serving platter, and keep warm.
Boil sauce until slightly reduced, 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour over meat and serve.
Serves 6.
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