thefoodlessprocessed

The filet steaks are cooked according to the method described in the post: Searing and Finishing a Filet Steak. The steps are outlined again, below, for ease of reference. The compound butter is a straightforward preparation, made in advance so it can be refrigerated to harden, cut into discs and then softened before serving. The method is described in a separate post: Buerre Café de Paris ~ Café de Paris butter.

The less processed ingredients are: Filet Steak, Mushrooms, Olive Oil, Parsley, and Water.

Equipment

• a Sauté Pan: Either one of cast iron or an enameled cast iron sauteuse with a black baked-on porcelain enamel interior is a good choice. Both are excellent for pan-searing steaks. After preheating, they hold heat well and distribute it evenly. Cast iron pans with a white enameled interior will not brown as well. You may read more about the unique qualities of The Cast Iron Pan here on thefoodlessprocessed.
• a Timer, preferably one that will time seconds as well as minutes or a Watch with a second hand
• a Heatproof Plate for resting the steaks once they are done and some foil

Ingredients

• Filet Steaks weighing 8 ounces (225-230 g) and 1/2-inch thick (about 1.3 cm): 1 for each person. These filet steaks are center cut with a level-4 Global Animal Welfare rating: Pasture Centered. 
• 1 large White Mushroom for each Filet Steak, washed and stems removed but not discarded
• a very little Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• about 1/2 cup (118 ml ) of Bottled Spring Water and possibly a bit more
• Café de Paris butter: thefoodlessprocessed recipe is here: Buerre Café de Paris ~ Café de Paris butter.
• a sprig of Flat-Leaf Italian Parsley as a garnish for each serving

Step One: Searing

Note: Preheat the oven to 350 F (around 170 or 180 C). Resting the steaks, lightly covered on a heatproof plate on the back of the stovetop of a warm oven will prevent them from cooling while you deglaze the pan and reheat the mushrooms.

• Preheat the pan. If the pan is cast iron or enameled cast iron, heat it slowly over medium low heat. It will become quite hot and hold the heat well.
• Dampen a paper towel with a little olive oil and run it over the bottom of the pan. The surface of the pan should remain dry, with only a little oil to film it.
• Just before adding the steaks, increase the heat to a medium high level to ensure the pan remains very hot. Place the steaks in the pan and sear them on one side, without lifting or turning them, for 4 minutes. Turn and sear on the second side for 4 minutes. If the pan smokes, reduce the heat a very little. Searing the steaks for 4 minutes on each side will create a deep brown crust.

Step Two: Finishing to Doneness

• Reduce the heat to a medium-low level to bring them to the stage of doneness you prefer and turn the steaks back onto their first side.
• If you wish to finish the steaks to rare, set the timer for 1 minute and cook the steaks on the first side.
• Turn them and cook on the second side for 1 minute.
• Add the mushrooms and stems and cook them at the same time for 1 minute to colour the caps and soften both caps and stems, then set them aside on a plate, covered lightly with foil.
• For any degree of doneness beyond rare, set the timer for 1 and 1/2 minutes and cook the steaks on each side.

Step Three: Begin Checking for Doneness

After cooking both sides for 1 or 1 and 1/2 minutes, begin checking the degree of doneness by pressing in the center of a steak with your finger. The gradations of firmness in a pillow may be a helpful analogy.

• Rare: soft, very yielding and only slightly springy
• Medium-rare: still soft, but now definitely springy with some feel of resistance
• Medium: perceptibly firmer than at medium rare, and less give
• Medium-well: firm, and hardly any feel of spring
• Well-done: basically firm

A steak cooked for only an additional 1 and 1/2 minutes per side will likely feel and be medium-rare. For a higher level of doneness, turn the steaks back to the first side and cook for an additional 1 minute, turn, and cook for an additional 1 minute on the second side. Test for doneness again. Beyond Medium the steaks will begin to cook faster. 30 second cooking times on each side between tests for doneness will help prevent cooking beyond the degree you want.

Resting the Steaks

• Turn off the heat from under the pan.
• Transfer the steaks to a heatproof plate, cover them lightly with aluminum foil, and place them at the back of the stovetop, where the rising heat from the preheated oven will keep them warm.
• Deglaze the pan with about 1/2 cup of water. Return the mushrooms and stems to the pan and reheat them in the deglazing liquid. If the liquid evaporates, add some more water until you have a small amount of juice to pour over each steak.

Serving

• Place a filet steak on a plate and spoon a small amount of the deglazing juices over it. Set a disc of the seasoned butter on top of it and a mushroom and stem to one side. Add a small stem of parsley for colour.