My son, Nick, was on his senior high school retreat on Valentine’s Day…so we celebrated on the following Sunday with a meal of beef tenderloin steaks, brown butter and Parmesan mashed potatoes and asparagus. My friend, Hilary, mentioned making a red wine, balsamic sauce with shallots to serve with beef so I decided to follow her lead. The fillets were seasoned with salt and pepper and sautéed in butter. Next they were removed from the pan and shallots, rosemary, red wine and balsamic vinegar were added with some additional butter. Returned to the pan, the steaks were heated to desired doneness, then served with the pan sauce. Nothing but raves for this exquisite dish…the sauce was sheer perfection.
Filet Mignon with a Red Wine Balsamic Sauce…inspired by Food for My Family
4 8-ounce beef tenderloin steaks
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 large shallot, diced
2/3 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar (good quality)
2 tablespoons rosemary, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Remove steaks from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Season well with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saute pan over medium high heat. Add fillets and sear on each side for 4 minutes, remove to platter.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and shallots. Saute a few minutes till shallots are tender. Add the wine and vinegar to deglaze, then add rosemary. Reduce sauce by half and add 1/2 teaspoon salt if needed.
Return steaks to pan, and cook to desired doneness, flipping once during cooking time. Serve over mashed potatoes if desired with sauce.
Serves 4.
{ 76 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t usually think a good steak needs any kind of sauce, But this sauce sounds good…il’ll try it next time I can afford filet.
This sounds wonderful. We indulge in a filet once in a while and usually make a version of peppercorn (au poivre) sauce. This looks like a delicious alternative. Thanks.
I would love the sauce Lizzy bc red wine comes alive for relaxation during weekends in my house. Will go for the mashed potatoes but need to replace the meat maybe I can try with chicken.
dear lizzy im sure my son really would love this so much,look delicious, have a nice day:)
looks wonderful!
This sounds SO good! Thanks for sharing.
A meal fit for a king!
I always pop a little bit of port in my sauce but otherwise it’s amazingly similar to yours. I love it.
Mi ci vorrebbe adesso!!!! Che bel piatto invitante!!!!
Un bacio grande!!!!
Red wine balsamic sauce…I am in for that, Liz! Sounds amazing!
This is a meal worthy of any type of celebration. Oh how my Mr. would love this. We don’t eat beef as often as we used to, so yes, this would be a celebration. Beautiful!
My balsamic vinegar has not got much use lately, so I am glad to come across this. That and the fact that my husband is big on steaks. Yours looks amazing, I will need to try this!
Hilary had some excellent advice. The sauce sounds delicious. The whole meal looks fantastic, and you know how much I love my meat. That steak is perfectly cooked. You can invite me for dinner any day!
Aaaah, beef tenderloin – is there anything better? (I don’t think so actually
) – I love that you’ve kept it fairly simple too… I always serve my steaks quite simply – potato in some form, one veg or a small salad and a sauce or reduction. I love asparagus – can’t get it in stores at the moment – can’t wait for it to be sold again 
we love beef tenderloin and this sounds SOOO good, thanks for sharing, anne
Yum! That does sound great and looks like a very satisfying meal.
looks perfect!
Life and travelling
Cooking
Oh, what a perfectly tender and juicy filet mignon! And the sauce sound perfect
this will make a satisfying meal!
I must try this sauce for my husband. He loves beef (I’m rather a pork eater
) The whole meal looks terrific.
I am so drooling right now.
It looks good though I’m not sure if I’d enjoy the red wine sauce. I generally have not had a good experience with the stuff.
This will make your belly AND your soul happy! One amazing dish – thank you for sharing, Lizzy!
Oh yum! I ate at a restaurant last night and someone I was with seriously had a plate just like this. Fabulous way to celebrate!
That looks like a perfectly cooked steak! Fabulous!
That looks like a perfectly cooked steak! Fabulous!
Steak is so good, a rare treat. This is a wonderful sauce to enhance the taste, not cover it. Mashed potatoes look great too.
Thats a wonderful dish! Reminds me of sundays, we used to eat it often and I was addicted to the flavoures. Your pictures gave me a crave for filet mignon!
Wow. That beef looks simply stunning and delicious!
I usually don’t mess with the great flavor of steak…but red wine balsamic sauce sounds perfect! Thanks for sharing this Lizzy!
Mmm this looks amazing!! The steak looks like it’s perfectly cooked. Red wine balsamic sauce sounds incredible with a tender filet! Yum!
Balsamic vinegar is magic, it makes everything better, even filet mignon! It looks like you cooked this perfectly!
i never had a beef…but i am sure ur recipes are awesome
What a gorgeous V-day entree–I am going to be making that sauce the next time I have steak for sure.
Oh Lizzy that steak is calling me. It is cooked rare, just the way I like it. Loving the sauce too. Thanks for sharing!
Your steak looks perfectly cooked! So beautiful and delicious.
I am SO intimidated by steak, but this sounds delicious and you make it look so easy
If I buy the right cut of steak and remember to pull it out of the fridge in time, maybe I won’t arrive at chewy steak? I’m trying to work up the courage to attempt 
asparagus looks perfect
These is really an exquisite dish! Your filet mignon is perfectly done & with red wine balsamic sauce sounds wonderful!
This dish looks simply superb
I felt posh just reading the title – fantastic post yet again!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
This sounds delicious! I have never made any sort of steak sauce before but this sounds like the kind I would want to put on my potatoes and veggies!!
Yum!
The steak looks perfectly cooked! The sauce sounds amazing. Can I have dinner at your place?
Lizzy-I haven’t had any steak, or red meat now since for about 1 month or so, when the last time I posted my Weight Watchers grilled steak, but your Filet Mignon is so droolworthy perfect and super tender delicious! That’s what company meal, or special family meal is all about!
Also, your Rugelach rolls look tempting, and yummy, the unusual way of making these shapes, which I already mentioned to Patty!
Sorry for slacking off with individual comments on each page…I’m such a “slow poke” with comments, and even posting for each time!
xoxo
Wow Lizzy! This is one impressive dish!! It looks like you went out to a fancy restaurant.. let’s call it Chez Lizzy.
Beautifully plated as well! I like the way you celebrate. 
Wow, I just had lunch but after seeing your pictures I’m hungry again already! I’ve always been a little wary of filet mignon because I’d hate to mess it up, but this looks like something I could manage!
What a wonderful sauce to go with those fillets! Such a gorgeous meal for Valentines day. Thanks for sharing!
As you probably can image I would never turn down a steak, but to turn one down with a red wine balsamic reduction is sinful.
amazing!! your presentation is great too. looks so yummy!
Wow Lizzy, this sauce sounds delicious, I have a piece of leftover prime rib and I just found out what I am going to do with it…thanks for helping me
Hope you are having a great week!
I just love everything on the plate,the balsamic sauce sound wonderful,I should try sometime
Ridwan
Un excelente plato rico y completo es adorable,abrazos hugs,hugs.
To bad you live far away otherwise I would send my husband over…this looks amazing as usual Lizzy. His favourite meat and your Balsamic sauce sounds delicious.
The filet mignon is just gorgeous, excellent with the red wine balsamic sauce!
I just fell in love with this sauce! And, please do tell about the Parmesan mashed potatoes! (Bet you guys are proud of Nick!)
Lizzy,
My husband loves steak, but doesn’t eat it often. i will have to save the recipe for him. He would love the Red Wine Balsamic Sauce, too.
Yes! I did a red wine balsamic sauce for steaks recently too and it was sooo yummy! I don’t think I’ll make them any other way now! lol
You simply have the best beef recipes!!! This is another one going high on our list. LOVE!
Wow does that ever look good. Liz, there are times that nothing can satisfy quite like a good steak!
lovely colourful delicious looks wonderful
Oh – yum!!! I love a really great steak with terrific sauce.
Shallots are soooo my favorite. I’ve had filet mignon (YUM by the way) and I have yet to try a balsamic wine sauce! What a great idea. Browned butter is a good way to steal my heart. Fair warning!
Woah! That looks perfect Liz! Love how you plated it. Simple and elegant.
Looks more then delicious!
Oh, what wouldn’t I do to have this for lunch now…!
I don’t eat beef but my husband loves his steak…he would love this…bookmarking this…for a special occasion when I really want to please my husband
This looks like something out of a restaurant menu! Just gorgeous… and brown butter, balsamic, and rosemary? Yes, please! This sounds absolutely DELICIOUS!
It looks and sounds great. Very jealous you’ve got some asparagus!
What takes a great home cooked meal to the next level? A great sauce!!! It’s only breakfast time and you have me thinking about steak : )
WOWZERS!!!
My all time favorite cut of meat. The filet had to be great with the sauce that you prepared.
Mmmmm….what a fabulous meal! I haven’t had filet mignon in ages and it is usually something we order when we go out. I’ll have to try this at home.
just salivating!
My husband loves grilling the steak, and he’s the one who cooks steak all the time. He never made with balsamic vinegar, so this will be our new menu to try for sure!
Beautifully prepared filet…my boys would go mad for this! Love the sound of the wine sauce as well, so lovely!
Wow, what a meal! This recipe shows that you don’t need a long ingredient list to make a great meal.
I would LOVE to pull up a seat to your table for this meal. Mmmm
I can see the red wine balsamic complementing the filet mignon so well. I bet my guys would love it!