I flipped all the way through this book before I realized that it's autographed by the man himself, Bobby Flay. Did my dad buy it already signed at a bookstore or did he wait in line to actually meet Bobby? I'll never know, but I do know that he was a huge Bobby fan. He told my brother once that cooking was the best way to woo women, and that Bobby's chipotle sweet potato casserole was just the dish for him to learn for college. I love my sister-in-law so I'm pretty sure that advice was right on target.
I remember my Dad making the Pork Tenderloin with Black Olive Tapenade and Charred Yellow Pepper Sauce, but, as I'm navigating the predilections of a pork hater and my desire to not go into multiple grocery stores for bespoke ingredients, I'm making Filet Mignon with Rum-Red Chile Sauce.
Ingredients:
Rum Red Chile Sauce
2 TB butter
3 shallots, minced
1 TB garlic, minced
1 c Myer's Dark Rum
4 c Chicken Stock [Bobby emphasizes "Do NOT use canned" - sorry, Bobby, I'm not making stock just for this]
2 TB Ancho Puree [see below]
2 TB molasses
S&P
[I also added 4 TB brown sugar and 2 TB cornstarch]
Ancho Puree
6 dried ancho chiles
1 TB minced garlic
2 TB chopped cilantro
Steaks
8 filet mignon steaks (~8oz each)
S&P
2 TB butter
Start with the Ancho Puree - soak the peppers in 8 cups of boiling water for 30 minutes, remove, pull out the stem, then puree in a blender with garlic and cilantro. I had to add some of the soaking water into the blender to make it smooth.
Now, for the sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat and sweat the shallots and garlic. Add the rum, bring to a boil, and reduce to 1/3 cup. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and reduce the heat. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and simmer until reduced to 2 cups. I didn't budget enough time for this - probably 20-40 minutes - so I cheated and added 2 TB cornstarch mixed with water to thicken. Don't be like me - budget the time! I also tasted it and it seemed a bit dull and bitter so I added another heaping TB of the anchos and 4 TB of brown sugar along with salt and pepper. I also ran it through the blender to smooth out the sauce - this undid most of the thickening from the corn starch. Again, if I'd reduced it properly, that wouldn't be an issue. This may be refrigerated for 2 days; reheat with a little water and re-season, if necessary.
Preheat the oven to 450F and season the steaks to taste with salt and pepper. In an ovenproof skillet of saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter [I also added olive oil], and sear the steaks on one side about 3 minutes. Place in the oven and cook to desired doneness. [I did 4 minutes per side, then 4 in the oven] Rest the steaks, then plate and drizzle with sauce.
I enjoyed the meal tonight, I think the sauce will go well on a grilled chicken breast, but I'm not sure I'd make it again. I served with crispy, smashed potatoes and roasted green beans - both went well with the sauce. Was the sauce worth the effort? I'd say "eh". If I had reduced the sauce properly, that would have been an hour just making the sauce. Bobby's method of cooking the steaks in butter blackened the butter, smoked up the house, and made my dishwasher very unhappy. Perhaps Bobby isn't married to his dishwasher, if you are, maybe try just olive oil and finish with butter the last few minutes in the oven.
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