How to Cook Chateaubriand with Porcini Sauce

Have you ever wondered how to cook chateaubriand cut of beef? This classic French cut of meat is meltingly tender and really easy to cook at home.

I'll take you through the process, step by step, including how to make the classic chateaubriand sauce, with the addition of tarragon and porcini mushrooms. It is seriously delicious!

So, next time you see this on a menu, you'll know that it is so simple to make for a special treat.

Bon appétit!   

I rarely eat steak in a restaurant unless it is this cut. My husband calls me a 'lazy eater'; someone who hates to chew food for two long. He's totally right! Eating beef in a restaurant can be very hit and miss and so often I've been disappointed with beef that is tough and overpriced.

But, you don't need to go to an expensive restaurant to enjoy this recipe, and you don't need any special skills or equipment either. Win, win, right? The meat itself is the star of the show and it's cooked in about 25 minutes, with step by step instructions. You can't go wrong.

Perfect for a date night meal for two, a dinner party or just a special meal, this restaurant style recipe is a must.

Jump to:

• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• ⏲️ Roasting time
• 🥗 Side dishes
• SUBSTITUTIONS
• 📖 VARIATIONS
• 🍽 EQUIPMENT
• STORAGE
• 📋 Recipe
• FOOD SAFETY
• ⭐ Reviews
• 💬 Comments

🥘 Ingredients

• chateaubriand cut of beef - this cut is available from some supermarkets and most butchers. I bought this one online at Swaledale Butchers.
• olive oil - just normal olive oil, not virgin or extra virgin as the high heat will change the flavour.
• butter - normal butter but if you use salted reduce the salt when you season the beef.
• flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce

• dry red wine - something that you normally drink.
• beef stock
• fresh tarragon - this aromatic herb is often served with beef in a béarnaise sauce but it is typical in a chateaubriand sauce.
• dried porcini mushrooms - these mushrooms have an intensely rich flavour and you can buy them in most supermarkets. Although they may seem expensive, a little goes a long way and they have many other uses.
• banana shallot - these are larger and longer than the normal shallots. They are easier to peel than most shallots and have a mild and sweet flavour.

See the recipe card for quantities.

🔪 Instructions

As the meat does not take very long to cook it is best to prepare the porcini sauce ingredients first, so that you can cook it when the beef is in the oven.

Measure out the mushrooms and put them in a bowl. Pour over a couple of tablespoons of cold water to cover and leave them to rehydrate.

Peel and finely chop the shallots.

Strip the tarragon leaves from the stems and chop.

Drain the mushroom liquid through a sieve lined with paper towel, retaining the liquid.

💭 Top tip

• Rinse the mushrooms thoroughly in a sieve under the cold tap. Dried mushrooms can have a lot of grit, that is released when they are rehydrated, so it's really important to rinse them.

Chop the mushrooms finely.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and oil together over a medium to high heat in a heavy pan.

💭 Top tip

• Season the beef all over with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper just before searing or cooking. Seasoning with salt too early can draw out moisture from the meat.

When the oil and butter are foamy add the beef and let it brown for a minute to get a good colour.

Turn the meat in the oil mixture until all the sides are seared.

Transfer the meat to a rack over a roasting dish.

Keep the frying pan and all its juices for making the chateaubriand sauce.

💭 Top tip

• Using a roasting rack ensures that the meat is cooked as evenly as possible as it allows the air to circulate around the meat and retains the crispy sear on the outside. If you don't have a rack use some vegetables, such as chunky onion rings or pieces of carrot or celery to use as a trivet to place the meat on.

⏲️ Roasting time

Put the meat in a preheated oven at 190C/375F/170FAN/Gas5.

For medium rare roast it will need about 15 minutes a pound or 500g, internal temperature 55C/130F.

If you prefer the meat to be rare aim for 50C/120F, 10 minutes.

Aim for 60C/140F, 20 mins for medium and 65C/150F, 23-25 minutes for well done.

💭 Top tip

• As ovens and meat sizes vary I prefer to use a meat thermometer and check the temperatures in the middle and at the ends as the meat will continue to cook when tou take it out of the oven

When the meat is cooked to your liking place it on a carving tray and cover it loosely with foil.

Leave it to rest for 10 minutes and make the sauce.

💭 Top tip

• It's important to let the meat rest as the juices distribute themselves evenly, the meat relaxes and this makes it easier to carve.

Over a medium heat add the chopped shallots to the pan used for searing the beef. Stir for a few minutes until the shallots are translucent.

Now add the wine to the pan and bring to the boil. Stir thoroughly to loosen all the residue at the bottom of the pan.

Let the mixture reduce by half and add in the chopped porcini mushrooms.

Add the stock and mushroom juices to the pan and continue to simmer until the sauce is thick.

Add the remaining butter to the pan along with the chopped tarragon.

Check the seasoning.

💭 Top tip

• If the sauce is not thick enough for your liking use a teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a little water and stir through the sauce while it's simmering.

Now it's time to slice the beef into slices. I like to carve quite thick slices.

I like to serve the sauce in pots on the side but it's delicious poured straight over a couple of slices too,

🥗 Side dishes

Serve a simple vegetable such as steamed green beans or broccoli with a decadent potato dish like one of these!

• Individual dauphinoise potatoes
• Duchess Potatoes
• Crispy Smashed Potatoes
• Scalloped Potatoes Pavé

SUBSTITUTIONS

• beef - if this cut isn't available then use any part of the fillet or tenderloin and use the same instructions.
• wine - use twice the amount of stock instead if you prefer not to use wine.
• porcini mushrooms - try other dried mushrooms or add some chopped fresh mushrooms with the shallots.
• tarragon - use a teaspoon of dried tarragon in place of one tablespoon of fresh tarragon.

📖 VARIATIONS

• sauce - try this sauce with any meat, such as duck, lamb or any steak to make it special.

• tarragon - vary the herbs according to the meat. Try rosemary or mint with lamb, pork with sage or thyme with beef for a change.

🍽 EQUIPMENT

• roasting pan with a rack
• heavy based frying pan for the beef and sauce
• meat thermometer

STORAGE

If you do have any meat left over it can be safely left covered in the fridge for three days or frozen for 3 months.

I like to use the leftovers in stir fries.

FAQs

More entertaining dishes

• Roast rack of French trimmed pork
• Monkfish Recipe with Chorizo and Rosemary
• Salmon Gravlax - Gin Cured Salmon
• Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Pork Fillet

📋 Recipe

FOOD SAFETY

• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
• Wash hands after touching raw meat.
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
• Never leave cooking food unattended'
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
• Always have good ventilation when using gas.

⭐ Reviews