Filet Mignon with Madeira Cream Sauce is the ultimate meal. It's luxuriously rich, so easy to make, and will impress everyone!
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Have you ever had a moment when eating something with a sauce and thought (or even said out loud) “I could drink that!”?? This is one of those sauces! There are things I don’t remember about last week, but I can remember meals I had 20 years ago like it was yesterday! That's the foodie in me. One such meal was a Chateaubriand for two my mom and I ordered once on Mother's Day. Have you ever heard of Chateaubriand? It's a roasted beef tenderloin traditionally meant to serve two, sliced thick. Kind of like a filet mignon.
That Chateaubriand was one memorable meal, but I think the part I remember the most was the sauces served with it rather than the beef itself! Don’t get me wrong. The beef was outstanding, but oh, those sauces!! One was a béarnaise sauce (I’ll tackle that in a future post), another was a red wine sauce, and the third and most amazing was a Madeira sauce. Silky, creamy, and oh so delicious, I think we both said we could drink that stuff! We loved it so much, I had to recreate it. The only thing I changed was the way I cooked the beef, making crusty filet mignons in individual servings. The perfect meal for two (or for more on a very special occasion).
here's what you'll need to make madeira sauce
- Sweet madeira wine - Madeira is a Portuguese wine, not to be confused with Marsala wine, which hails from Italy. It can be hard to find. I usually find it at my local Total Wine and More.
- Heavy cream - the cream makes the sauce rich and luscious.
- Thyme - fresh thyme goes well with madeira. You can also use dried thyme in a pinch.
how to make madeira sauce
Heat butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, but not browned. Pour in Madeira and add thyme sprigs, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer until the Madeira has reduced by half.
Pour cream into reduced Madeira and bring back to a boil. Reduce to a low boil until sauce has reduced again by half. Strain through fine mesh sieve into a pouring vessel and serve.
my simple way to cook filet mignon
Beef tenderloin is one of my favorite cuts of meat. It's tender (it's in the name!), there is little to no fat on it (making it more "healthy" than other cuts of beef), and it's so versatile and succulent. The only drawback is the price. That said, if you want to splurge for a special occasion, you can find a couple of filets at a reasonable price. But if you want an even better deal for your money, buy a whole tenderloin and break it down yourself. I do it all the time (you can even get them at Walmart!) and, believe it or not, it ends up being cheaper than a Chick-Fil-A meal per person!!!
Heat cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Drop pat of butter into pan and place filet in sizzling butter. Let sear for 2 minutes without moving. Using tongs, carefully flip over and continue to sear for another 2 minutes. Make sure you have good ventilation in your kitchen when doing this, as there will be smoke. Place the skillet in a 500-degree F oven for 5 minutes for medium rare, longer for medium or medium well, and don't bother for well done (no tenderloin should ever be cooked to well done, sorry, not sorry). Remove from the oven and skillet and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Filet Mignon with Madeira Sauce FAQs
Yes!! It goes very well with chicken and fish. A grilled chicken breast or pan-seared filet of fish would be great with Madeira sauce drizzled over it.
While I think everyone should own a cast iron skillet (they're cheap and will last forever), you can use ANY oven-safe skillet. Please make sure it's oven safe to 500 degrees F.
Unfortunately, this particular method is specific for filet mignon. However, you can sear cuts of meat, like ribeye steaks, in a cast iron skillet the same way and take them off the heat after searing, unless they are 2 inches thick (in which case you can absolutely "bake" them for 5 minutes).
more father's day recipes for the dads in your life
- Red Wine Braised Pot Roast With Cheese Grits - a favorite of my husband's!
- Chili Butter Flank Steak - a recipe that's been in my family for years.
- Gluten Free Spaghetti and Meatballs - the meal that won my husband's heart.
- Poor Man's Burnt Ends - nothing cheap tasting about these nuggets of sheer joy!
- Gluten Free Honey Coriander Wings - a Disney's 'Ohana copycat recipe.
- Best Ever Gluten Free Crab Cakes - all crab, hardly any filler!
- Amazing Grilled Lemon Butter Shrimp - another family favorite and go-to for parties and special dinners. So easy and can be scaled up or down for crowds.
- Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes - elegant, but easy and oh so cheesy!
- Fire Roasted Artichokes with Garlic Aioli - my dad's favorite.
- Ultimate Gluten Free Chocolate Cake - because chocolate on chocolate on chocolate is what dads really want!
- Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Cupcakes - chocolate on chocolate on chocolate in individual cupcake form.
- Gluten Free Better Than Robert Redford - a chocolate dessert that's easy to make and perfect for a party or get together.
- Gluten Free Coconut Cake Recipe - if your dad is more of a coconut lover (like mine)!
What better way to tell dad you love him? Make him a wonderful meal of Filet Mignon with Madeira Cream Sauce and he'll feel all the love.
Filet Mignon with Madeira Cream Sauce
Equipment
- cast iron skillet (optional, but recommended)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp (14g) butter
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ bottle (375ml) Madeira wine (not Marsala)
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1½ cups (360ml) heavy cream
Filet Mignon
- 4 8-oz beef tenderloin filets
- 2 tbsp (28g) butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for just 1-2 minutes (you don't want to brown the garlic). Carefully add Madeira and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until wine is reduced by half.
- Pour in heavy cream and bring back to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue simmering until mixture is reduced slightly and thickened (coats the back of a spoon). Remove from the heat and pour through a sieve into a small pitcher or container. Serve hot or at room temperature over beef, chicken, or fish.
For the Filet Mignon
- Dry filets fully with paper towels and season on all sides with salt and pepper. Bring them to room temperature.
- *Make sure you have good ventilation for this step* This can also be done on the grill outside (directly in the cast iron skillet). Preheat the oven to 500°F. Heat cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet) over high heat until smoking. Drop 2 tablespoons of butter into the hot pan and let it sizzle and brown slightly. Place seasoned filets in melted butter and don't touch for 2 minutes (set a timer).
- Using tongs, carefully flip filets over to sear on the opposite side for another 2 minutes (set a timer again). Place skillet in preheated oven and set a timer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place steaks onto another plate and cover with foil; let rest for 5-7 minutes. Serve with the sauce (and extra for dipping on the side because everyone will love it so much they'll want more)😋
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