Filets Mignons and Asparagus with Blue Cheese and Shallot for Two | America's Test Kitchen

Serves 2

Time 1¼ hours

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Want luscious steaks, tender-crisp vegetables, and fried shallot? Start with a reverse sear. We slowly cooked filets mignons in a 275-degree oven for about 25 minutes until they were just shy of medium-rare and then we browned them in a hot skillet. To make a vegetable side while the steaks rested, we combined asparagus and butter in the same skillet we'd used for the steaks. The water in the butter steamed the asparagus while it melted, cooking the spears to a vibrant green. Cooking the asparagus uncovered for a few minutes resulted in a well-browned, crisp-tender finish. We combined blue cheese, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and oil to create a quick sauce to tie the dish together. Finally, to make the dish feel worthy of a special occasion, we topped the juicy, sauced filets with a crispy golden-brown shallot, which we made using an easy microwave-frying technique.

Ingredients

• 2 (6- to 8-ounce) center-cut filets mignons, 2 inches thick, trimmed
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• ¾ teaspoon plus pinch pepper, divided
• 1 shallot, sliced thin lengthwise
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled (¼ cup)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Place steaks in 12-inch oven safe nonstick skillet and roast until steaks register 115 degrees (for medium-rare), about 25 minutes, or 125 degrees (for medium), 30 to 35 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine shallot and oil in liquid measuring cup. Microwave for 3 minutes, stir, and then microwave 1 minute longer. Repeat stirring and microwaving in 1-minute increments until shallot begins to brown, about 3 minutes longer. Using fork, transfer shallot to paper towel–lined plate and season with salt to taste; reserve 3 tablespoons oil. Let shallot sit until well drained and crisp, about 5 minutes; set aside. 
3. Whisk vinegar, mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pinch pepper together in bowl. Whisk in 2 tablespoons reserved oil until smooth. Stir in blue cheese until mostly smooth; set aside.
4. Remove steaks from skillet. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon reserved oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place steaks in center of skillet and cook until well browned on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to plate, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, melt butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus to skillet; cover; and cook until asparagus is bright green and just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook, turning spears, until asparagus is tender and well browned, 3 to 7 minutes.
6. Dollop blue cheese mixture onto steaks and sprinkle with fried shallot and parsley. Serve steaks with asparagus.

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