Filet Mignon with Mushroom-Wine Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, divided
• 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
• 1 1/2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine, divided
• 1 (10 1/2-ounce) can beef consommé, undiluted and divided
• Cracked black pepper
• 4 (4-ounce) filet mignon steaks (about 1 inch thick)
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Thyme sprigs (optional)

Preparation

1. Melt 1 1/2 teaspoons butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and mushrooms; sauté for 4 minutes. Add 1 cup wine and 3/4 cup consommé; cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon; place in a bowl. Increase heat to high; cook wine mixture until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Add to mushrooms in bowl; set aside. Wipe pan with a paper towel.
2. Sprinkle pepper over steaks. Melt 1 1/2 teaspoons butter in pan over medium heat. Add steaks; cook 3 minutes on each side. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Place on a platter; keep warm.
3. Combine soy sauce and cornstarch. Add 1/2 cup wine and remaining consommé to skillet; scrape skillet to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Add mushroom mixture, cornstarch mixture, and dried thyme; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Serve sauce with steaks. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.