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Steak Your Claim

Sous Vide Filet Mignon with Herb Butter Finish and Ultra-Smooth Potato Purée

2 hours 10 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerFrench
Herb's take

Tonight, we’re going full modernist with a French-inspired dinner: precision-cooked filet mignon, a restaurant-style herb butter, and satiny potato purée. The sous vide method guarantees steak perfection, while the butter and purée show how meticulous technique transforms simple ingredients.

Equipment needed
  • Sous vide circulator
  • Vacuum sealer and bags
  • Potato ricer or fine mesh sieve

Ingredients

Yield
4

Instructions

  1. 01
    Set your sous vide circulator to 129°F (54°C) for medium-rare steak. Preheat a water bath.
  2. 02
    Pat the filet mignons dry. Season on all sides with 1 tsp kosher salt and 3/4 tsp black pepper.
  3. 03
    Place each filet in its own vacuum bag with 2 thyme sprigs, 1 rosemary sprig, and 1 tbsp unsalted butter. Vacuum seal tightly.
  4. 04
    Submerge the sealed filets in the preheated water bath. Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes.
  5. 05
    While steaks cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potato chunks and simmer until very tender, about 18-20 minutes.
  6. 06
    Drain potatoes thoroughly. While still hot, pass potatoes through a ricer or fine mesh sieve into a saucepan.
  7. 07
    In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream, whole milk, and crushed garlic over medium-low until just steaming. Discard garlic.
  8. 08
    Add 4 tbsp unsalted butter to the hot potatoes, stirring until melted. Gradually add the warm cream mixture, stirring until completely smooth.
  9. 09
    Taste and season the potato purée with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Cover to keep warm.
  10. 10
    In a small bowl, mash together the remaining 2 tbsp unsalted butter, minced chives, and lemon zest until uniform.
  11. 11
    When the sous vide timer is up, remove steaks from bags and pat dry very thoroughly with paper towels.
  12. 12
    Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until just smoking. Sear the steaks 45 seconds per side until well-browned, including the edges.
  13. 13
    Remove steaks from pan and immediately top each with a generous spoonful of the chive-lemon butter. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
  14. 14
    To serve, divide the potato purée among four warm plates. Slice each filet in half on the bias and arrange on top. Spoon any melted herb butter over the steak and scatter with extra chives if desired.

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