Pepper Crusted Filet Mignon with Port-Cherry Reduction Sauce & Blue Cheese-Chive Butter

A complicated recipe, but completely worth the effort! Request this one for Mother's Day!

Pepper Crusted Filet Mignon

5 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked

5 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

4 center-cut filet mignons, 1 1/2-2 inches thick, 7-8 oz. each, trimmed of fat and silver skin

Heat peppercorns and 4 T oil in small saucepan over low heat until faint bubbles appear. Continue to cook at bare simmer, swirling pan occasionally, until pepper is fragrant, 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. When mixture is room temperature, add salt and stir to combine. Rub steaks with pepper mixture, thoroughly coating top and bottom of each steak with peppercorns. Cover steaks with plastic wrap and press gently to make sure peppercorns adhere; let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on oven rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in 12" heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until faint smoke appears. Place steaks in skillet and cook, without moving steaks, until dark brown crust has formed, 3-4 minutes. Using tongs, turn steaks and cook until well browned on second side, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and transfer steaks to hot baking sheet. Roast 3-5 minutes for rare, 5-7 minutes for medium-rare to medium. Transfer steaks to wire cooling rack and let rest, loosely tented with foil, for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with Port-Cherry Reduction Sauce & Blue Cheese-Chive Butter.

Port-Cherry Reduction Sauce

1 1/2  cups port

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup dried tart cherries

1 large shallot, minced

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

table salt

Combine first 5 ingredients in medium saucepan; simmer over medium-low heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 30 minutes. Set aside, covered.

While steaks are resting, reheat sauce. Off heat, remove thyme, then whisk in butter until melted. Season with salt to taste.

Blue Cheese-Chive Butter

3 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 oz. mild blue cheese , room temperature

1/8 teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoon chives, minced

Combine butter, cheese, and salt in medium bowl and mix with stiff rubber spatula until smooth. Fold in chives. While steaks are resting, spoon 1-2 tablespoons butter on each one. 

From the Kitchen of: Cooks Illustrated, April 2006