FILET MIGNON with Bernaise Sauce
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Copycat Recipe
Serves 4
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup water
salt, to taste
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chervil (if available)
4 filet mignon steaks (about 1 1/2 inches thick, weighing 7 to 8 ounces)
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and keep warm. In another small nonreactive saucepan, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, shallots, dried tarragon and a pinch of black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is almost evaporated. (Do not let it evaporate completely , you should still see some bubbles of liquid around the shallots.) Cool slightly.
To make the sauce: In the top part of a nonreactive double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks and water. Place over the bottom part of the double boiler containing gently simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the top does not touch the water. Whisk in the vinegar reduction. Continue whisking constantly until the egg mixture thickens and the temperature reaches 140 degrees.
Remove the top of the double boiler and continue whisking to cool just slightly. Whisk in the warm melted butter in a thin, steady stream. Stir in the fresh tarragon and chervil, if available. Hold warm at about 100 to 110 degrees while preparing the steaks.
To cook the steaks: Preheat the boiler for about 10 minutes. Season the steaks evenly on both sides with salt and pepper. Broil the steaks about 3 inches from the heat source. For medium done steaks, broil about 8 minutes on the first side and 6 minutes on the second. Insert the tip of a sharp knife into a steak to test for desired doneness, but they should register at least 140 degrees (medium rare) in the center, for safety's sake.
To serve, place a steak on each of 4 warm dinner plates. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the Bernaise Sauce over each.