Beef Tenderloin with Porcini Cognac Sauce

This has been a kind of a crazy week at my house.  Our windows in our new (to us), 23 year old house were not in good shape and we knew when we bought the house that they’d need to be replaced.  We didn’t intend to have them replaced in the middle of a Minnesota January, but that’s the way it worked out.

So all week we’ve had a crew here installing the new windows and of course, that means that for periods of time, there have been big, gaping holes in my house.  That means it’s been FREEZING in here, not to mention the chaos and mess that’s ensued.  To make matters worse, the furnace had been running pretty much non-stop throughout the day to try and keep the temperature up.  Well, I think that was too much for it and late last afternoon, I discovered that the furnace wasn’t running.  It turns out the motor burned out and had to be replaced.  Thankfully, the repairman was able to fine the right motor and fixed it last night.  Crisis averted.  Hopefully, the window project will be finished today and the chaos will be over.

On a better note, let’s talk about beef tenderloin with porcini cognac sauce.  It sounds really fancy, but it’s actually very quick and easy to make.  This makes it a perfect dish for entertaining with, because you can serve a really special meal and still enjoy your own party.  The sauce is just a quick pan sauce, but it’s full of rich, delicious flavor.  The cognac adds a little “somethin’ somethin'” to the flavor profile and by using the liquid that you soak the mushrooms in, the deep flavor of the mushrooms is further enhanced.  And all of that tastes amazingly delicious on top of a tender, perfectly cooked beef tenderloin steak.

Beef Tenderloin with Porcini Cognac Sauce

• 1 (1 oz) pkg dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 cups boiling water
• 4 (6 oz) beef tenderloin steaks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• 1 medium shallot, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup cognac (brandy would also work)
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place dried mushrooms in a glass bowl and pour boiling water over them.  Let them steep in the water to reconstitute them.

Season steaks with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large skillet (use a cast iron skillet if you have one) over medium high heat.

Sear steaks for 2-3 minutes per side, until browned.

Move steaks, in the skillet to the preheated oven, bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove mushrooms from the water, reserving water.

Chop mushrooms into bite size pieces.

Once steaks have finished baking, transfer them to a plate and cover loosely with foil.

Return skillet to stove and turn heat on to medium.

Saute shallots until tender, about 3 minutes.

Add garlic to pan and sautee for an additional 30 seconds.

Add mushrooms to skillet.

Season mixture with 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and dried thyme.

Turn heat off and stir cognac into mushroom mixture.

Turn heat back to medium and cook mixture until cognac has almost evaporated, stirring to scrape up any browned bits.

Stir in 1/2 cup of the reserved mushroom water and bring to a bubble.

Stir in butter and let mixture cook for a couple of minutes until sauce has thickened slightly.

Serve sauce over steaks.

ENJOY!