Filet Mignon and Caramelized Onions

Tonight I made my first ever steak!

I don't generally prepare red meat. Actually, I pretty well NEVER prepare red meat. I sometimes cook pork tenderloin, but I think of it as "the other white meat". I have a bit of a complex about this. I call it my "Vegetarian Hangover". I was a vegetarian for years as a teenager and have gone back to veggie ways in little fits and starts in adulthood. I hate preparing or eating any meat that looks anything like an animal - thus, no seafood, nothing bloody, nothing fatty, nothing touching or near a bone. I realize this may sound neurotic to some, but if you get it, you get it.

However, two weeks ago, while cleaning and organizing our hoarding-disaster of a basement, we discovered an obscene and wonderful hoard of change. We decided to reward our sweaty selves with (first a shower, then) a romantic date to a steakhouse that we'd heard great things about. We'd tried to get in before for an anniversary and Valentines, but had been denied reservations.

Our basement money treated us to an incredible 3 hour long meal that was a feast for the senses, but as I told my physiotherapist about it (I have an active social life), he told me he never goes out to restaurants where he can replicate the food at home. My co-blogger and sister-in-law, TJ, often says the same thing.

Because of my Vegetarian Hangover, I thought I was incapable of preparing steak. Something miraculous happened today, though. I was at my favourite store, The produce Depot, loading up on veggies and some fruits and realized I needed some protein. I headed into the deli and picked out some sliced meats and sauntered into the refrigerated meats section, usually a scary area for me.

I have been pretty diligent about researching and recording everything that I'm eating, so even before we went to the steakhouse, I checked out the menu online (I'm so determined, I even had to download the PDF) and then read about cuts of meat. I learned that the filet mignon (French for cute, by the way) is the leanest cut. I was pretty happy with that choice at the restaurant, and Matt was envious, even with his New York Striploin that was much larger.

When I spotted three adorable (I can't believe I'm saying that about chunks of dead cow) chunks of filet mignon sitting in the refigerator at Produce Depot, I knew I was into a new territory of cooking and my house would become a steakhouse tonight.

One problem. I have had no idea how to cook red meat.

Thank goodness for the Internet.

Ingredients:
3 filet mignon steaks (about 5 oz each)
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
1 tbsp evoo
4 tbsp butter
Fresh ground sea salt and pepper
1/4 c red wine
1 thinly sliced Vidalia onion

Process: (thank you Yahoo! Answers)

-put two pans on stovetop, one for onions, one for steaks

Steaks:
-season steaks on both sides with salt and pepper
-heat 2 tbsp of butter in steak pan at med-high heat
-when butter starts to bubble, add garlic and stir
-place steaks in garlic butter and sear on each site for 2 minutes
-reduce to medium heat
-baste filet with butter, cooking for four minutes on each side for medium rare (add 2-3 minutes for medium, well done, etc.)
-remove from heat

Sauce:
-using drippings (butter, garlic, oh my!) from steak, add oil, remaining butter and wine to saucepan
-increase heat, reduce, stirring frequently

Onions:
-heat 1 tbsp of butter in on med heat
-add onions and stir frequently (for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and soft)

-Serve one filet next to onions with sauce on top

(makes 3 servings, although I only ate about half of mine)

No, that is NOT blood. I have a Vegetarian Hangover, remember? That is the tasty sauce I made! Red wine, baby!

Nutritional Information:
(per serving)
Calories: 490
Carbohydrates: 6 g (onions are sugary!)
Fat: 30 g
Protein: 41 g
Fibre: 2 g
Sugar: 3 g


Yum or Not:
Oh gracious. This was the definion of a moist, flavourful cut of meat. We ate this with our grown up (me) and little kid (Captain Handsome) salads. Captain Handsome's was gone in moments and he's taking the third serving for lunch tomorrow.

You can't tell, but this is my grown up salad. There is a bunch of baby lettuce and various sprouts hiding beneath the cukes, tomatoes and feta. This actually looks a lot like the Captain's little kid salad!

From what I read, it was a good thing we still don't have our BBQ out, as this lean cut of meat gets dried out in the fire.

This was my dinner - I didn't even need the steak knife. The meat was THAT tender.

You may have noticed that this was a HIGH fat recipe. I am currently trying out a low-carb, high-fat, high-protein diet (based on Ketogenic diets). So far, it's going great for me. The key is to eat a tiny amount of carbs each day, so that your body learns to burn fat. It's amazing, but I'm eating butter and bacon and losing weight at the tune of about 2 lbs a week. It's kind of awesome, but it does mean no bread and no sugar, so there's that.