Filet Mignon with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Glaze

With endless numbers of recipes I have yet to try, and all the great dishes I've already made, I sometimes find it hard to choose what to make my friends for dinner on a Friday night.  Do I go with something new or stick with something I know is amazing?  Do I fix something healthy or splurge on a decadent dish?  To help me decide, I go to the Harris Teeter website to see what's on sale that week, and I usually go with one of the Teet's specials.  It doesn't matter that I can get chicken breast for $5.99/lb any day of the week--if Chilean sea bass is on sale for $17.99, down from $26.99, it's going in my cart.  Makes sense, I know.

This week, filet mignon was on sale, and I know that my friends like a good steak, so I decided to pick some up.  Always wanting to class things up a bit (I'm not a simple woman), I opted to top each filet with crumbled goat cheese and finish it with a drizzle of balsamic glaze.  Mmmmm.

I started out by patting the steaks dry and setting them on the counter for 20 minutes to warm them up.  The former allows a nice crust to form and the latter allows for more even cooking.  Then, went the butter and oil into my cast iron skillet (which I love, by the way).  

I seared the steaks on medium-high heat for 4 minutes per side, which I think was a little much.  First of all, the crust was almost-slash-definitely crispy, which I like, but others may not.   Second, my entire little apartment filled with smoke from the pan.  At that point, I topped each steak with goat cheese and put the whole thing in a 400 degree oven for about 3 minutes to allow the steaks to cook a bit more and the goat cheese to melt.

Since I like my steaks on the medium side of medium-rare, I could have gone for a couple more minutes in the oven, but Becky and Trevor thought they were perfect.  The light and tangy goat cheese is a great counterbalance to the richness of the steak, while the balsamic glaze (which you can get in most grocery stores in the vinegar section) offers a lovely hit of sweetness and tang.  I served with rosemary roasted potatoes and green beans.  Delicious!

Blurry picture, but you get the idea.

Becky came for the weekend!

Filet Mignon with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Glaze
(for 2)

2 filet mignon steaks
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 ounce crumbled goat cheese, divided
balsamic glaze

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Take the steaks out of the fridge and let rest on the counter for 20-30 minutes before cooking.  Pat dry.
2. Heat oil and butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet, like a cast-iron skillet, over medium high heat.
3. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper and sear in the pan for 4 minutes per side.
4. Sprinkle goat cheese over each steak and place in the oven for 3 minutes to warm the cheese.  Cook longer if you like a more well-done steak.
5.  Remove from the oven, plate, and drizzle with balsamic glaze.