Steak Diane

Steak Diane is a classic filet mignon recipe that is first pan-seared to your perfect temperature and then, topped with an amazing cream sauce. This signature sauce features ingredients like shallots, mushrooms, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, reduced beef stock, cream, and cognac set ablaze!

Valentine’s Day is not only the time to take your special someone out to a fancy dinner, it’s also to a time to try and make it yourself. There is something extra special about cooking dinner for your Valentine rather than going out. I think it’s a perfect gesture to show your love! 

It’s so much more special to put in time and effort into a special dish and of course, love and care are extra ingredients that you won’t get in the restaurant.

What I have for you today is a classic restaurant dish: Steak Diane! I will teach you to make it at home and in under 30 minutes.

What Is Steak Diane?

This dish features pan-seared tenderloin steaks and a creamy pan sauce infused with cognac (or brandy). You may recognize this dish by the signature technique called “flambé,” which is when cognac (or brandy) is set aflame to cook out the alcohol. Additional sauce ingredients may vary but often include Worcestershire sauce, Dijon or gourmet mustard, heavy whipping cream, mushrooms, stock (or demiglace), and shallots.

While the origins are debatable, it appears that the dish Steak Diane is named after a celebrity or leading lady named Diana.

During the 1940s, this dish became popular in New York’s fine dining restaurants because of the show that this can put on. Flambéed dishes were (and still are) often prepared tableside, as a form of dinnertime entertainment. Think of dishes like Bananas Foster, Crepes Suzette, Cherries Jubilee, as well as several cocktails.

What is flambé in cooking?

This cooking technique of infusing the sauce with rich liquor or liqueur essence but burning out the alcohol. The technique involves pouring alcohol over food and then igniting it. The alcohol burns out as the flames die out. The French term flambé translates in English to “flaming” or “flamed.” 

Several types of pure liquor or liqueur can be used, but cognac, brandy, bourbon, or rum are most common. Due to the high heat of live fire, the alcohol is burned off leaving only the flavor behind.

While this is quite an impressive technique to show off your family and friends, make sure to follow the safety precautions like:

• Check the proof on the liquor and don’t flambé anything over 100 proof.

• Never pour the liquor out of the bottle! Always measure out what you need into a separate dish.

• Take a step back, don’t stand right over or next to the pan.

• Always, take the pan off the heat, or turn off the burner if using a gas stove.

• Use a long match or a long lighter to ignite the alcohol.

• Ignite the fumes near the edge of the pan, not the liquid itself.

• Don’t carry or touch the pan while the flames are still present.

• Don’t preform flambé next to something that is highly flammable.

• Have a metal lid close by in case you need to extinguish the flame quickly.

Ingredient Notes And Substitutions

• Filet mignon. While this is the traditional cut for this pan fried steak recipe, you can easily make it with any of your favorite cuts of beef.

• Unsalted beef stock. Using unsalted stock will prevent the Diane sauce from being too salty. A low sodium version should work as well, but it’s always a good idea to taste everything before adding more salt.
  
• Cognac. Using alcohol is necessary to create a flambé, and cognac also adds a rich flavor to the sauce. Note, that this technique does burn out the alcohol from the sauce but if you have to skip the alcohol, simply make extra reduced beef stock.

Remaining Ingredients For Steak Diane:

Butter

Shallots

Mushrooms

Worcestershire sauce

Dijon mustard

Heavy Whipping cream

Parsley for garnish

HOW TO MAKE STEAK DIANE

1. Make a beef stock reduction first.

A reduction is a culinary term describing the process of allowing water to evaporate from a liquid. This creates a concentrated, rich flavor that enhances the overall dish. 

Ideally, you would do this after cooking the meat so the drippings can flavor the stock. However, doing it this way will cause the steaks to be cold when the sauce is done. For this reason, I recommend reducing the liquid first.

2. Sear the filet mignon.

To form a nice outer crust on the beef, it’s important to use a skillet that holds heat well and also cooks evenly. Cast iron is a great choice, but any heavy-bottomed skillet will work.

TIP: Be sure that the skillet is blazing hot and your steaks are at room temperature before placing them inside. If the meat is still cold the connective tissue will seize up, causing the meat to be tough and chewy.

(Alternatively, you could cook steaks in the oven, or even grill them. Use my tips on how to grill the perfect steak.)

After cooking the steaks for a couple of minutes on each side, set them aside to rest and take off the string tied around each filet.

3. Prepare the sauce.

Add butter to the pan and once melted, add and sauté the shallots and mushrooms until golden brown.

4. Flambé (Make sure to read above precautions!).

Please be very careful with this step and read the highlighted precautions above! Remember that you are dealing with liquid that is on fire.

First, remove the pan from the burner or turn off your burner if using a gas stove! It’s important that it be off of the heat before you pour the cognac into the pan.

Then, using a long match or lighter, ignite the cognac. Do NOT shake, move, or swirl the pan until you see that the flames are mostly gone or completely gone. Otherwise, things can get dangerous and out of hand quickly!

Don’t worry, once the alcohol cooks out, then the fire will go out on its own. Bring the pan back to the stove once the flames have died down, or turn the heat back on the stove.

5. Finish and serve.

Pour in reduced beef stock, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and some salt and pepper. Stir well and stir in the heavy cream. Make sure the heat is set to medium or slightly lower and let the sauce gently simmer for a couple more minutes.

When sauce is done, pour it over the steaks and enjoy!

Helpful Tips and Recipe Notes

Finishing steaks in the oven

While you can certainly cook the meat entirely on the stovetop, you do have an option to finish steaks in the oven after searing. Make sure to use a cast iron skillet or another pan that can easily do stove to oven.

If you have never prepared filet mignon, be sure to check out my tips on how to cook filet mignon at home.

What to serve with Steak Diane?

Served at the restaurant, you will usually see some form of potatoes and vegetables with this filet. Mashed potatoes make a great pairing with the steaks but you can also opt for roasted potatoes. If you want something lighter, try mashed cauliflower.

As far as vegetables, you can serve your favorite sautéed or roasted vegetables like green beans, asparagus, zucchini, carrots, and many others.

MORE SPECIAL OCCASION DINNER RECIPES

The thing is, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on ingredients or make an extravagant effort to cook something fancy. Dishes like coq au vin, beef bourguignon, and even steaks with mushrooms and onions sound fancy, but are actually simple to make!

If you want seafood, try my Salmon Florentine or Crispy Skin Salmon. Both are easy and quite special.

PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on March 24, 2012. Updated February 1, 2021.