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Original video by @BrianLagerstrom — all credit to the creator.

Brian Lagerstrom

Steak Diane

Tender filet mignon medallions, seared hard and fast, then bathed in a silky mushroom, cognac and Dijon cream sauce. It's a steakhouse classic you can make at home in one pan in about 15 minutes.

⏱ 15 min2French-Americansteakfilet mignonsteakhousemushroom saucecognac

Ingredients

Steak

  • 9-10 ozfilet mignon · over 8 oz, cut into 2 medallions
  • —coarse salt
  • —black pepper · season generously
  • 3 tbspneutral oil · canola, avocado, etc.

Diane Sauce

  • 85 gcremini mushrooms · about 4-5 baby bellas, stems removed, medium diced
  • 60 gshallot · 1 large, finely diced
  • 8 ggarlic · 2 cloves, minced
  • 125 gcognac · 1/2 cup
  • 175 gbeef stock · 3/4 cup
  • 15 gDijon mustard · 1 tbsp
  • 10 gWorcestershire sauce · 2 tsp
  • 60 gheavy cream · 1/4 cup
  • 30 gunsalted butter · 2 tbsp
  • 1 gfresh thyme · about 1 tsp minced, from 3 sprigs
  • 2 gfresh parsley · about 1 tbsp, minced
  • 2 tbspneutral oil · plus a little more as needed
  • —salt · to taste

Steps

  1. 1

    Slice the filet crosswise into 2 medallions. Put them in a freezer bag and pound them to an even 3/4-inch thickness. Season both sides well with salt and plenty of black pepper, then set them on a plate.

  2. 2

    Dice and measure out all the sauce ingredients, and keep a lid for the pan close by.

  3. 3

    Heat a stainless-steel skillet over medium-high to high heat and add 3 tablespoons of oil. When it's lightly smoking, pat the steaks very dry and lay them in the pan, moving away from yourself. Weigh them down with a heavy saucepan or burger press.

  4. 4

    Sear for 90 to 120 seconds, flip, and sear another 90 seconds while pressing, about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes total for medium-rare.

  5. 5

    Move the steaks to a plate to rest and save the juices.

  6. 6

    Carefully wipe out the skillet with a damp paper towel. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes, until they're golden brown and cooked down by about half.

  7. 7

    Add a little more oil, then the shallot, garlic and a pinch of salt. Lower the heat to medium or medium-low and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft and translucent but not browned.

  8. 8

    Turn off the heat and take the pan off the burner, then add the cognac. Return the pan to the burner, relight it carefully and keep your face back. Let the flame die out, or cover the pan with the lid for about 20-30 seconds to put it out.

  9. 9

    Uncover and keep cooking until the cognac has reduced until nearly dry.

  10. 10

    Add the beef stock, Dijon, cream and Worcestershire, plus any resting juices from the steak plate. Boil over medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until a spatula dragged through the sauce leaves a lazy trail.

  11. 11

    Turn the heat to low and whisk or swirl in the butter until it's emulsified. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of stock or water. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the parsley and thyme.

  12. 12

    Taste the sauce and adjust the salt.

  13. 13

    Add the steaks and any resting juices and baste for 20 to 30 seconds, just long enough to rewarm them. Serve right away on warmed plates with the sauce spooned over.

Creator's notes

If filet is too expensive, use sirloin instead, but tenderize it with a fork or jaccard tool first. Red or white onion can replace the shallot. Sherry or brandy can replace the cognac. For an alcohol-free version, use about 40 g of apple juice or white grape juice. A thermometer isn't reliable on steaks this thin, so go by time and feel: 3 1/2-4 minutes total for medium-rare, about 4 1/2 minutes for closer to medium-well. To make medium-rare easier to hit, freeze the steaks for about 20 minutes before searing. Turn on a strong vent fan, because the sear gets very smoky. Warm the plates in a low oven so the sauce doesn't go cold. Brian cuts the mushrooms into a small dice instead of slices so they cook through and blend into the sauce.

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