Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Tenderloin with Porcini Crust


This recipe comes from Bon Appetit via epicurious (photo not mine). I am a mushroom lover but when cooking for others, many people reject the texture of cooked mushrooms. This recipe is great even for the mushroomphobic, as the dried porcinis sizzle in the pan and make a flavorful but slightly crispy crust. The herbed butter I could take or leave, but it's part of the original recipe so I left it in.

Ingredients
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 small garlic clove, pressed
1 (1/2-ounce) package dried porcini mushrooms*
6 1-inch-thick filet mignon steaks

*Available in the produce section of many supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.

Preparation
Mix first 4 ingredients in small bowl for herb butter. Season butter to taste with salt and pepper. Process dried porcini mushrooms in spice grinder to fine powder. Transfer powder to plate. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Press steaks into porcini powder to coat both sides well.

Melt 2 tablespoons herb butter in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add steaks to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to plates. Spoon rounded tablespoon of herb butter atop each steak and serve.