Steak Diane

This famous dish from the 1970’s is just as tasty now as it was back in its heyday. The dish consists of perfectly cooked Steak (typically Tenderloin). The pan juices from the Steak are then turned into a rich and creamy sauce consisting of Shallots, Mushrooms, Brandy, Cream, Stock, and Dijon Mustard. The flavors of a Steak Diane are big and sophisticated, yet the dish itself is very simple to make, and ready in under 30 minutes. There is a reason that this recipe is still being cooked over 50 years after its popularity, and that is because it tastes amazing. Flavor never goes out of fashion!

How to make a classic Steak Diane at home

This is a simple dish to make, and likely you’ll already have most of the ingredients ready to go in the pantry. Like any good Steak-based dish, the key to success is always going to be in the quality of the meat you are using. We recommend sourcing the best quality Filet / Beef Tenderloin you can get your hands on. I prefer the thicker cut ones, as they are much easier to cook consistently to a medium rare while still achieving a wonderful crust on the outside. 6 – 8 oz. Filet Steaks will work perfectly for this dish

Once you’ve got your Steaks, keep them out at room temperature for about 45 minutes before beginning to cook. As they are thicker cuts of Steak, it’s important that they’re not cold when cooking. This way, they will cook evenly throughout

Once the Steak is ready to cook, season generously with Salt. Be sure to season all sides of the Steak too, and not just the top and bottom. The thicker cuts of Filet are almost square like in shape, so every side will need to be seasoned. Also remember that when cooking, you will need to ensure every side of the Steak spends some time against the hot surface of the frying pan

A sure-fire technique that guarantees a perfect medium-rare Beef Tenderloin every time

This little technique is guaranteed to work. First, heat your pan over a medium-high heat. Not scorching hot, but still hot enough to get a strong amount of heat coming off the surface. Add some Oil and allow it to heat before adding the seasoned Steaks

Press the Steak down to ensure good contact with the pan and then cook for 4 minutes. If you are using a grill you can turn it 90 degrees at the 2 minute mark to get those lovely grilled lines. After 4 minutes, flip and repeat the 4 minutes

Finally, drop the heat a little and add Butter and Thyme to the pan. Rotate the Steak to sear off the sides for about 30 seconds each. While searing the sides, baste generously with the Butter. Remove from heat and allow to rest

While the Steak is resting you can make the Steak Diane Sauce

Using the same pan, remove the Thyme then add Shallots and more Butter and cook for a few minutes before adding your Mushrooms. Be sure to scrape down the pan well as you are cooking the Shallots and Mushrooms to capture all of that wonderful Beefy flavor that’s stuck to the pan

After about 5 minutes of cooking, it’s time to add the Brandy. Adding liquor to the sauce is a hallmark characteristic of Steak Diane. The alcohol will burn off after a few minutes of cooking and what you are left with is a sweet and sophisticated flavor that truly sets this sauce apart from other pan sauces

If you don’t have any Brandy then just look for some similar liquor you may have lying around the house. Madeira works well, but you can also use other liquors. Just bear in mind the flavor profile will differ based on the liquor you use

Adding flame to the pan, yes or no?

If you want to be fancy you ‘can’ light the pan with some fire to get flames going. This will have no impact on the flavor at all, and we highly recommend against doing this. Especially if you’re cooking inside, it’s just too risky. Once the alcohol has burnt off add some Beef Stock. Homemade is always the best and you can use our recipe. Otherwise, Stock Cubes work fine too

Once the stock has cooked down a little bit, reduce the heat to low and add in Heavy Cream and Mustard. At this point you want to mix everything very well. Mustard tends to clump up a little bit when added to sauces, so a whisk is preferred to get everything nice and smooth

You can either use Heavy Cream or Crème Fraiche for this step. I like to use Heavy Cream in our recipe. Mainly because it’s a lot easier to get your hands on, and I find there’s always another dish that you can use Heavy Cream in afterwards, avoiding any wastage. Whichever you choose is fine

To finish the dish, remove it from the heat and add some freshly chopped Tarragon and a splash of Worcestershire Sauce. You can swap out the Tarragon for other herbs if you like. Parsley is a very popular choice. However, I much prefer the flavor of Tarragon. It works so well in sauces, and is fantastic with Beef

Serving your amazing Homemade Steak Diane

That’s basically it! The dish is done and ready to be enjoyed. Given this is a retro dish I recommend serving Steak Diane with another retro favorite – Mashed Potatoes! You can whip up our amazing Mashed Potatoes using this recipe. They’re full of buttery goodness and pair perfectly with Steak Diane

The combination of flavors in this dish is truly spectacular. If this is your first time trying Steak Diane we’d love to hear what you think? It’s amazing that some dishes like this can stand the test of time and still be popular and delicious decades later! We highly recommend you give this wonderful dish a try

Steak Diane Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 x 6 – 8 oz. Beef Tenderloin Steaks
• 1 tsp. Vegetable Oil
• 1 tbsp. Butter
• 6 Sprigs of Thyme
• Salt
  
  

For the Pan Sauce

• 2 Shallots, finely diced
• 1 tbsp. Butter
• 1 cup of Mushrooms, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup of Brandy or Madeira
• 1 cup Beef Stock (recipe here)
• ¼ cup Heavy Cream
• 2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbsp. Tarragon, finely chopped
• ½ tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
  
  

Instructions

1. Bring the Steaks to room temperature and season generously with Salt on all sides. Add Oil to a large frying pan over medium high heat and once hot, add the Steaks
2. Cook for 4 minutes on one side. Turn over then cook for a further 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add Butter and Thyme. Sear the sides of the Steaks for 20 – 30 seconds each while basting with Butter
3. Remove Steaks from pan and set aside to rest. Remove the Thyme from the pan and add the Butter and Shallots. Increase heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes, ensuring you scrape up any bits stuck to the pan
4. Add the Mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes then deglaze with Brandy. Cook down until the Alcohol has burnt off (about 2 minutes) then add Beef Stock
5. All liquid to reduce by half then add Heavy Cream and Mustard. Mix well to combine then remove from heat. Finish Sauce by mixing in Tarragon and Worcestershire Sauce. Taste for seasoning before serving over the Steaks
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can replace Heavy Cream with Crème Fraiche
• Different sized steaks may require the cooking time to be adjusted slightly. You can also make this dish with different cuts. NY Strip and Ribeye are great alternatives
  
  

This classic rendition of Steak Diane is sure to please. A perfectly cooked piece of Beef Tenderloin topped with a rich and creamy sauce that is simply timeless in its flavor. We guarantee you’re going to enjoy cooking and eating this wonderful dish!

For more classic dishes why not check out some of these favorite dishes of ours?:

• Hearty Beef Stew
• Classic Lasagna
• Easy Dauphinoise Potatoes
• Tomato and Bacon Soup
  
  

Happy Cooking!