Cracked Pepper Filet with Mustard Cognac Sauce

Main Dish

Ingredients

6, 6-8 ounce filet mignon

2 Tbl N0-Stick Grilling Marinade for beef

1 Tbl kosher salt

1/2 cup cracked black pepper

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp fresh garlic, minced

1 Tbl shallot, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup cognac

2 Tbl brown sugar

1/2 cup Veal demi glace (page xxx)

1 cup whipping cream

2 Tbl Dijon mustard

Instructions

Lightly brush the surfaces of the steaks with the marinade and set aside for 45 minutes, the steak should remain at room temperature while marinating.

Season the marinade steaks with the salt and firmly press the black pepper onto the surfaces of the steak

Prepare grill and cook steaks over direct high heat untildesired doneness, 8-10 minutes for medium rare. Turn the steaks once while cooking.

For the sauce:

Heat olive oil in a small sauté pot over low heat. Add garlic, shallots, and salt and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Add cognac and brown sugar and cook 5-6 minutes, until thick and syrupy. Add demi glace* and cook until the mixture has reduced by half. Add the cream and cook until the sauce has reduced by half. Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard.

Top each cooked steak with 1-2 ounces of sauce.

Yield: 6 servings

Recent Recipes

Amalfi Lemon Cake

There's a particular kind of sunshine that only shows up in citrus form, and this Amalfi Lemon Cake has it in spades. Bright, moist, and unapologetically lemony, it walks the line between a proper dessert and something you'd be just as happy eating with your coffee on a Tuesday morning. The glaze soaks into the crumb while the cake's still warm, so every bite carries that little pucker of acidity balanced against real sweetness. It's simple enough for a weeknight and pretty enough for company.

Pecan Crusted Redfish

There's a certain kind of Southern kitchen wisdom that says you can't improve on a fresh Gulf redfish — and for the most part, that's true. But every now and then a dish comes along that doesn't so much improve the fish as it does pay proper respect to it, and this pecan-crusted redfish is one of those. It's a dish that works just as well for a Tuesday supper as it does for a table full of guests you're trying to impress — which, if you ask me, is the mark of a truly great recipe. Serve it simple, with rice or grits and something green on the side, and let the fish do the talking.

Stuffed Pork

Robert St. John's Stuffed Pork is an elegant centerpiece dish that takes a braised pork loin and layers it with Black Forest ham and melted Fontina cheese for a result that's as impressive to look at as it is to eat. The pork is seared, slow-roasted in chicken stock, and then sliced accordion-style so each cut fans open to hold the savory fillings before going back into the oven to meld together. A silky pan sauce made from the reduced braising liquid and heavy cream ties it all together, making this one of those recipes that feels restaurant-worthy without being out of reach.

RobertStJohn.com