This recipe is freaking delicious and pretty much an original. I did use
some help from this book when it came to cooking the beef, How To Cook Everything. (It’s like a modern Joy of Cooking.)
For this dish, you’ll need a nice cut of steak. I like the Petit Fillet or shoulder steak. It’s a big cut and you’ll have plenty of leftovers for the next day. Then you’ll need some VERMOUTH! Vermouth, a wine (not just for martinis, which blew my mind), can be used like white or red wine in sauces! And the flavor is full with a little bite. You’ll love it.
The Petit Fillet
Pre-heat oven to 500°
Heat large, oven-proof skillet for 4-5 minutes on high until it’s smoking hot.
Place beef in skillet and immediately transfer skillet to the FLOOR of the oven, not on a rack.
Cook for 15 or so minutes or to your desired internal temperature for rare, medium rare etc.
The Vermouth and Gruyere Reduction
2 cups of vermouth
2 tablespoons of softened butter
Small handful of finely chopped onions or shallots
Once your beef is done to your liking, remove beef from skillet and place on oven-proof plate. Turn the oven off and place plate on a rack to keep the meat hot as the oven cools and you make your sauce. If it’s a little rare at this point, no worries, it’ll continue to cook a bit in the cooling oven.
Put the skillet you just used to cook the beef on the stovetop. Use a good oven mit because it will be super hot. Pour 2 cups of vermouth into pan and cook on high heat until the vermouth reduces by half. At any point during the reduction you can add the onions or shallots. Also during this process, use a whisk to scrape all the deliciousness from the bottom of the pan. The steak juices and meaty bits on the bottom will really add flavor to your sauce.
Once the liquid has reduced, add the butter and reduce heat to
medium. Once the butter melts, add one to two cubes of Gruyere. If you like a sharper tasting sauce, go with two cubes, if that’s not your thing stick with one.
When the cheese is melted pour over meat and serve in groups of succulent and saucy medallions with brown rice, salad and a veggie. It’s fucking amazing! Hmmmm.
