Parmesan Crusted Filet Mignon with Truffle Cream Sauce

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• It’s pretty easy to bring together. 
• It will elevate any fillet mignon
• Efficient use of truffles to get more bang for your buck!
• The sauce tastes incredible!
• So many side dishes will pair brilliantly with this recipe

Why is filet mignon such a desirable cut of meat?

Filet mignon is one of the three most popular luxury steaks in the USA. Strip steaks and ribeyes round out the triumvirate. Filet mignon is known as the most tender and most lean of the three, while lacking the extra beefy flavor found in a ribeye. Some say the strip steak is the best of both worlds with a beefier flavor but less fat than a ribeye. The best cut of beef out of these three all comes down to personal preference.

Best Cooking Method for Filet Mignon

We chose to sauté the filet mignon in this recipe because we get a great sear on the steaks in a skillet on your stovetop, it’s pretty easy to do, and it’s fast. But there really isn’t a “best” way for cooking filet mignon. It’s according to what you are trying to accomplish and your personal tastes. They can be cooked via sous vide, roasted, grilled, sautéed, or broiled with equal amounts of success. 

What type of sauces are best with filet mignon?

So many sauces can be made to accompany and level up a filet mignon. A classic red wine sauce, such as a bordelaise sauce, or other classic french sauce recipes based on a red wine reduction are wonderful. But cream sauces, like the one in this recipe, or a creamy peppercorn sauce also work equally as well.

A good balsamic vinegar reduction is also a fantastic addition to filet mignon and takes no time to make.

There are simple and complex filet mignon sauce recipes and they all have a place around this amazing cut of beef.

Do truffles go well with steak?

Truffles are a natural pairing with steak! However, truffles are generally wild and so desirable and in high demand that they are very expensive.

Jarred truffles in oil are more economical and last longer compared to the fresh ones that are expensive and difficult to get.

Black truffles are less expensive than white truffles, which are even more difficult to find. White truffles tend to have a stronger aroma but more mild flavor than black truffles. They are both unique in terms of aroma and taste.

Ingredients

Here is what you need to make this recipe:

• Filet Mignon steaks: We use 6-ounce filet mignon steaks and we like a thick steak, just under 1¾ inches thick.
• Shallot: A basis for the cream sauce, shallot has a great flavor for sauce bases.
• Vegetable Stock: Another foundation of flavor for the cream sauce
• Bay Leaf: Often overlooked in saucemaking, the bay leaf provides a subtle flavor addition.
• White Wine: Dry white wine of your choice is perfect here. We generally use a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
• Whole Black Peppercorns: By keeping them whole in the sauce, we can impart a little pepper flavor without the black specks.
• Parsley: Parsley brightens the sauce base a bit.
• Rosemary: Rosemary deepens the flavor of the sauce base
• Heavy Cream: The main ingredient of the cream sauce.
• Truffles in Oil: High quality Italian truffles, sliced in olive oil, are perfect for this sauce
• Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
• Clarified Butter or Ghee: We cook the steak on the stovetop in either of these to bring some more flavor to the steak.
• Parmesan Cheese: Provides the incredible flavor to the crust. Make sure to use the real deal Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated for best results.
• Panko Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs work the best as they stay crunchy, bringing a beautiful texture to the steaks

See recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

Here are a couple of common substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:

• Fillet Mignon: As long as you trim as much fat as possible, a strip steak or even a lean ribeye could be used instead. A sirloin will also work as long as it is lean.
• Shallot: Half of a small yellow onion works here as well.
• Clarified Butter or Ghee: You can use regular unsalted butter or olive oil if desired, but clarified butter imparts the buttery flavor without the milk solids burning at high heat.
• Truffles: If you can find jarred truffles in oil, you can use truffle oil, which is easier to find. Just add a teaspoon or two to the sauce instead of the truffles.

How to Make Parmesan Crusted Filet Mignon with Truffle Cream Sauce

This recipe has two components, neither of which is very difficult to make. The sauce, which is done on its own, and the steak. The steak is cooked on the stovetop and then finished broiling in the oven. It’s pretty easy and immensely flavorful!

Equipment

Here is what you need to make this dish

• Heavy skillet, cast-iron skillet or similar, to sear the steaks
• Baking dish
• Instant-read thermometer to temp the steaks
• Sauce pan for the cream sauce
• Wire mesh strainer

Prepare the Steaks

• Pat the steaks dry and put them on a wire rack over a sheet pan. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Start the Sauce

• To the sauce pan, add the shallot, vegetable stock, bay leaf, wine, whole peppercorns, parsley sprig, and rosemary sprig. Cook over medium heat until there is about ⅓ of a cup of liquid left. Strain out all the solids through a mesh strainer and return the liquid to the pan. 

Finish the Sauce

• Add the cream, truffles and pinch of black pepper and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce has reached your desired consistency (should coat the back of a spoon). Taste for seasoning and add salt as needed. The sauce can be reheated gently on low right before serving.

Cooking Steaks

• Once the sauce is about ready, you can cook your steaks. Preheat the oven on broil and make sure the top rack in the oven will put the steaks about 5 inches below the top heating element.  Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and season with some salt and pepper. Add the ghee to the heavy skillet over high heat. When the ghee melts, add the steaks and cook for 3 ½ minutes on one side, then 2 ½ minutes on the other side (this is for the low end of medium rare doneness - if you prefer your steaks more done, cook 1-2 minutes longer per side). Immediately remove from the heat and transfer the steaks to a baking dish.

Coat and Broil the Steaks

• Mix the panko and parmesan cheese together in a small bowl. In the baking dish, create a mound of this mixture over each steak. Place the baking dish in the oven for about a minute, depending on the temperature of your oven broiler. Keep checking and when the top is golden brown, remove the steaks from the oven. Remove from the oven and let them rest for 5-8 minutes before serving. Place each steak on its serving plate or put them both on a serving platter. 

Finish, Assemble, and Serve

• Heat up the sauce while the steaks rest. Add the sauce to the steaks, beneath, on top of or both. Serve!

Steak Doneness Temps

Although we feel pretty strongly that the low end of medium rare is the perfect steak doneness for filet mignon preparation, here are the internal temperatures you should use depending on how you prefer your steak cooked. Remember to account for about 10°F of carryover after cooking your steaks while they rest, meaning the steak temperature will continue to rise while the steak rests. The temps below refer to the FINAL internal temperature.

• Rare: 120-130°F
• Medium Rare: 130-135°F
• Medium: 135-145°F
• For Medium Well and beyond…. just don’t do it, or at least don't tell us that you did. Ha!

Variations

Here are a couple ways to change up this recipe:

• Use another protein entirely! This exact recipe works great with chicken breast or even a thinner pork chop. Just note the cook times will be different as the pork or chicken needs to be the proper temperature.
• Add a layer of whipped blue cheese to the steak after searing and before coating with the bread crumbs for another great flavor addition!

Storage

How to store leftover filet mignon:

• Store leftover filet mignon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days

How to reheat leftover filet mignon:

• Reheat covered in the oven at 350°F until warmed through or on the stovetop in a pan over low heat. Either way, gently reheat it instead of blasting the oven or stove. 

Can you freeze leftover filet mignon?

Yes, you can. Make sure it is room temperature, it is wrapped thoroughly and with as little air as possible, and it will last 3 months in the freezer.

Troubleshooting

If you have some oil from the truffles (or if using truffle oil exclusively) in the cream sauce, it is best to whisk it in well so it doesn’t pool.

What to serve with Parmesan Crusted Filet Mignon?

Any green vegetable will be a perfect addition to this dish. We really like it with broccolini, green beans, or asparagus. Additionally, roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes are very nice as well.

What Wines To Drink with Filet Mignon

This is not as straightforward as you may think. Steak loves big dry red wine, but cream sauces do not. However, softer reds, such as pinot noir, and assertive whites, such as chardonnay, both work well here.