Sauteed Shell Steak with Vinegar Sauce
Submitted by mdavis
Sauteed filet mignon with a red wine vinegar and cream pan sauce finished with shallots. A classic French bistro technique that turns simple steaks into an elegant dinner.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minThis is a proper French bistro technique. Filet mignon gets a quick, hard sear in browned butter, then the pan gets deglazed with red wine vinegar to build a concentrated cream sauce from the fond left behind.
The vinegar step is where the magic happens. Pour it into the hot, empty skillet and scrape up every brown bit stuck to the bottom. Those caramelized meat drippings dissolve into the vinegar and form the backbone of the sauce. Cook the vinegar down until it nearly disappears, then pour in the cream and reduce by half. What’s left is a glossy, tangy sauce with serious depth.
Paprika on both sides of the steak adds color and a subtle smokiness to the sear. Two minutes per side gives you a solid medium-rare on these smaller cut pieces. Adjust up if you prefer more done.
Chef Tips
- Get the butter truly hot, almost brown, before the steaks go in. That high heat creates the sear and the fond you need for the sauce. Tepid butter means gray steaks.
- Add the shallots at the very end so they stay crisp and sharp. Cooking them into the sauce would mute their bite.
- Let the resting juices from the steaks go back into the sauce. That’s concentrated beef flavor you don’t want sitting on the cutting board.
Variations
- Use sherry vinegar instead of red wine vinegar for a rounder, slightly sweeter sauce.
- Add a teaspoon of whole green peppercorns to the cream for a steak au poivre variation.
- Swap cream for creme fraiche for a tangier, lighter sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the tenderloin into eight pieces.
Sprinkle with paprika on both sides.
Heat the butter in the skillet and when it is very hot and almost brown, add the steaks Cook about 2 min. on one side, then turn and cook about 2 min or until golden brown on the other side. Remove the steaks from the skillet and keep warm. Pour off the fat from the skillet. Add the vinegar, stirring to dissolve the brown particles that cling to the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the vinegar has almost evaporated. Add the cream. Cook, stirring over high heat until reduced almost by half. Add any juices that have accumulated around the meat. Return the steaks to the skillet and turn in the sauce. Add the shallots and heat briefly.
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