Filet Mignon with Truffle Demi-Glace & Pommes Purée

Filet mignon with truffle demi-glace and pommes purée is the plated main course that marks fine dining elegance — the most tender cut of beef, seared to a golden crust, served on a silk-smooth potato purée, and finished with a deeply concentrated, truffle-infused sauce that reduces hours of stock into a few perfect spoonfuls.

This is the dish guests remember for years. At a group party, it is best served plated at the table (rather than buffet) to preserve the temperature contrast and presentation integrity.

Ingredients (serves 10–12): - 10–12 filet mignon steaks (about 6 oz each), at room temperature - 2 tablespoons neutral oil - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter - 4 garlic cloves, crushed - Fresh thyme sprigs - Salt and cracked black pepper

Truffle Demi-Glace: - 2 ⅛ cups good veal or beef demi-glace (purchased, or reduced from 2 ⅛ qt beef stock) - ½ cup dry red wine (Burgundy or Cabernet) - 2 tablespoons black truffle paste - 2 shallots, minced - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - Salt and pepper

Pommes Purée: - 3¼ lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered - 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened - ¾ cup warm heavy cream - Salt and white pepper

Pommes Purée Instructions: Boil potatoes in heavily salted water until completely tender. Drain, return to dry pan over low heat for 2 minutes to evaporate moisture. Pass through a ricer or food mill. Beat in butter in three additions, then warm cream gradually. Season generously with salt and white pepper. Keep warm.

Truffle Demi-Glace: Sauté shallots in butter until soft and golden. Add red wine, reduce by half. Add demi-glace, simmer 10 minutes until glossy and napped. Stir in truffle paste. Strain if desired. Finish with a knob of cold butter for shine. Season.

Filet Instructions: Pat steaks completely dry. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat oil in a heavy cast iron or stainless pan until smoking. Sear steaks 2–3 minutes per side without moving for a deep golden crust. Add butter, garlic, and thyme. Baste continuously for 1 minute. For medium-rare, internal temperature should reach 130°F. Rest on a warm plate for 5–8 minutes before plating.

Plating: Spoon a generous mound of pommes purée to one side of a warm plate. Set the filet beside or on top. Spoon truffle demi-glace over and around the steak. Garnish with a thyme sprig.

Pro Tips: The filets can be seared and rested up to 30 minutes before service, then finished in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes to reheat for large groups — this is how restaurants serve perfectly cooked steak simultaneously to many guests. The truffle demi-glace can be made 3 days ahead and reheated gently.