Giada De Laurentiis' Filet Mignon Upgrade Adds A Creamy, Caramelized Twist

Rich, tender, and savory, filet mignon is undoubtedly a cut above the rest. Once you've mastered a few tricks for cooking a perfect filet mignon every single time, you may find yourself wanting to raise the steaks (er, stakes) with an occasional upgrade. If this is the gravy boat you're in, look no further than Giada De Laurentiis, whose Filet Mignon With Balsamic Syrup and Goat Cheese is that rare toothsome treat, worthy of true sizzle-bration.

In a segment from the Italian-American chef's Food Network show, "Everyday Italian," De Laurentiis demonstrates how she uses goat cheese to enhance the flavor of steak. Once she has generously seasoned the room-temperature steak filets with salt and pepper and pan-seared them in butter for three minutes on each side to a crusted perfection, De Laurentiis lays them on a baking sheet to add the goat cheese on top of the piping hot meat. "Now, I happen to like a lot of goat cheese on my steaks, and because it's so soft and moist, it's going to melt really fast," she explains in the clip.

The cookbook author places about four generous clumps of the cheese on each steak before transferring the pan to the oven for a one-minute broil to melt the cheese. (The cheese should have some browning on top when you take it out.) According to De Laurentiis, it's the "great tang" and "creamy texture" of the goat cheese that enriches the flavor of filet mignon. It also adds a caramelized twist that sends it over the edge.

While the steak is resting, Giada De Laurentiis gets started on her homemade balsamic syrup, which she drizzles over the meat, just before serving. Consisting of 1½ cups of balsamic vinegar and 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, naturally sweet balsamic reduces and thickens on the stovetop, becoming more sweet than tart in flavor, leaving it, as De Laurentiis describes, "very syrupy and very sweet." A perfect juxtaposition to the deep, umami flavor of the steak and the salty creaminess of feta, offering a bit of sweet acidity and a respite from all that richness. Just don't overdo it — balance is key here. The syrup itself adds about 18 minutes and needs occasional stirring in the saucepan over medium-high heat when making it yourself. Want to speed things up? Nab a premade version, just open and drizzle.

The Food Network star recommends Herbes De Provence roasted potatoes, baked parmesan mashed potatoes, or a creamy polenta as formidable companions to this cheesy-balsamic-steak-trinity, and suggests broccoli rabe with raisins and pine nuts, or pesto and prosciutto asparagus for veggies. But as we head into hotter weather, you may prefer this bold combination atop a peppery bed of fresh wild arugula with cherry tomatoes, as De Laurentiis explains on her website, "An herbaceous bitter vegetable pairs well with the richness of the dish."  

Looking for other ways to upgrade your steak? Try this $5 ingredient that turns steak into the dinner you'll want on repeat, or choose one of these 23 best steak recipes.