Steak Diane

I don't know if this is actually French or not, but I decided it could be since it had a cream sauce over top. I made this for Valentine's Day using some beef tenderloin I discovered in my freezer a couple of weeks ago. This was wonderful. I'll definitely consider this again next year when I am trying to decide how to use my beef tenderloin. This will serve 4.

Steak Diane
from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

4 tenderloin fillets, 4 - 6 oz each (I suspect mine were much smaller than that, about 4 oz tops)
freshly ground black pepper
3 T butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 T minced shallot
1 t Dijon mustard
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c cream
salt and pepper, to taste

fresh chives or parsley for garnish

Flatten the steaks to about 1" (or slightly less) thick. Sprinkle steaks liberally with pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature for up to one hour. Melt 2 T of butter into the skillet. Once melted and no longer foamy, turn heat up to medium-high and put on steaks. Cook for about 3 per side (for medium-rare steaks, longer for more well done steaks). Remove from pan and set aside. Wipe out the pan. Add 1 T butter to the pan and saute the shallot until it softens, about 1 minute. Add mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and cream to the shallots and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the sauce at a steady bubble and add the seared steaks and any accumulated juices to the pan. Cook, turning 2 - 3 times, until the meat is done to your liking. Transfer to serving platter and spoon sauce over meat. Garnish with fresh chopped chives or parsley