Author: Thomas Sixt is a chef, food photographer, cookbook author and blogger. Here he shares recipes, answers cooking questions and helps with cooking.
The fillet steak recipe on fennel shows you a wonderful main course with a fine, light vegetable side dish.
Every now and then I pay attention to the slim line or I want to create a balance.
Then steak with vegetables is a good idea.
The following instructions show you the preparation with a cooking video.
Good succeed! I wish you a lot of fun cooking yourself!
3. Buy Meat: The Fillet Steak is Buttery Tender without the Meat Aging
It’s a light dish, healthy and not heavy, great for a nice summer evening.
Since I refine the roasted fennel with raisins, the steak with side dish has a Mediterranean flavor on the one hand and a slightly oriental and sweet taste on the other.
Filet steak with fennel, ideal for guests, on the menu, or for an evening for two!
Tip from chef Thomas Sixt
I love fillet steaks because the meat is always tender and I can save weeks of maturing the steaks in the fridge.
The maturity is always the problem with the steaks. I always buy rib eye steak, rump steak and rump steak close to the expiry date and then leave the meat in my fridge for another 10 days.
At best you buy vacuum-packed steaks, then you don’t have to worry about it.
If the goods come fresh from the butcher, then pickling in oil is the order of the day.
The meat should always be covered with oil. To make it work, simply place a piece of cling film on the meat that has been doused with oil and add more oil on top.
Herbs like rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns affect the flavor a bit.
No storms of enthusiasm are to be expected from my side, because I prefer to add the herbs and aromatics to the roast and think they are more effective there.
The piece of meat Entrecôte is also called Rib Eye. In New Zealand, the popular steak is called Scotch Filet. It is cut from the back, number 6. The juicy, robust steak is popular with steak gourmets because of its aromatic taste. You can recognize the rib eye steak by the typical eye of fat.
3.1 How was Meat Stored and Prepared for Aging in the Past?
Steak meat used to be dipped in liquid lard, among other things, and then hung up in the cold store.
The pork fat seals the meat airtight and it can mature well and last a few days longer.
This variant can only be used to a limited extent at home and makes little sense.
Buy rib-eye steak, rump steak and rump steak close to the expiry date and let them mature in your own fridge!
Frying a steak has recently become a science of its own.
I’m doing it again as I learned from star chef Alfons Schuhbeck in Waging am See:
Rinse steak in cold water and dry
Season with salt and pepper
Fry on all sides in a little oil to the desired doneness.
I can’t understand the hysteria surrounding burnt pepper and I think the meat tastes better if it’s seasoned before roasting.
In the video I show it with seasoning after frying, but now I do it the other way around.
At least no one can say I haven’t tried it 🙂
Season steaks just before roasting, that’s my version and it tastes great!
Fry a steak like in the star gastronomy tip from chef Thomas Sixt
4.1 Prepare the Fillet Steak in the Pan or on the Grill
The most important aspect of roasting and grilling steak is the heat.
The meat should be cooked at high heat so that as little meat juice as possible escapes.
If the heat is too low, the meat will cook and the result will not be what you want.
What is important when frying a steak!
We cooks have learned that the pores in meat close when it is seared. In new, popular-scientific books, this is now repeatedly taken up and refuted.
Also the internet is full of smart people who now know that meat has no pores.
Be that as it may, in the end it comes down to the same thing, whether the pores close or the surface proteins of the outer cells are caramelized, it doesn’t matter at all.
Frying and thus caramelizing is important for the taste.
This so-called Maillard reaction ensures the tasty crust.
Fry the steak vigorously, with a little heat-resistant fat, so it becomes tasty!
Tip for roasting a steak from chef Thomas Sixt
Allow the steak to cook to your desired doneness.
5. Prepare Fillet Steak Rare, Medium or Well Done
The matter is not half as tricky as it is treated.
Below is a table showing the degrees of doneness and temperatures:
Gargrad Bezeichnung
Kerntemperatur
Rare
45-49°C
Medium Rare
50-54°C
Medium
55-59°C
Medium well
60-72°C
Well done
73-85°C
In principle, steaks are usually served rare, medium or well done, everything in between is science and I would like to focus on these three degrees of doneness.
Option one is the safest, take a thermometer and check the temperature carefully.
The pressure test is somewhat less precise:
“Rare” is very “soft” in print, “Medium” is slightly “bouncy” and “Well done” is “very firm” in print.
Meat juice pearls are also visible on the surface of the steak when the cooking level is medium.
Steak cut arranged.
6. Suitable Side Dishes for the Fillet Steak
The great advantage of this dish is undoubtedly its quick preparation.
You only need a pan, first prepare the fennel and then put it in a bowl.
Rinse the pan briefly and fry the steaks in it right away.
I love this dish because it’s quick and easy.
One pan is enough for this dish – a quick steak with a side dish of vegetables!
Preparation tip from chef Thomas Sixt
I’ve recently seasoned the fennel with a little cinnamon and a little cayenne pepper, added some lemon juice to the seasoning and also used rosemary-garlic oil that I made myself.
Below you can write to me directly. Please don’t forget the star rating on the recipe, 5 stars means you liked it!
Steak with light side dishes like fennel is always a hit!
Reply
Hello Ralf, thank you for your positive feedback. I am glad. Also have a look at the article: How to fry a steak properly . You'll find lots of tips there! Kind regards Thomas
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Hello Thomas, I just tried your recipe with fennel! Great thing, I added a few diced carrots (because of the colour:-)))) and a few rosemary potatoes :-)))! ) Didn't detract from the matter; wonderful light and quick recipe with a clear overview and instructions! Thank you for this very tasty idea!!
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Hello Hans Herrmann, thank you for your positive feedback, which makes me very happy. Carrots and rosemary potatoes are a good idea. Taste hit – wonderful! Feel free to contact us again with kitchen gossip and cooking questions. Kind regards, Thomas Sixt
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Hello Thomas, can I actually prepare another vegetable similar to fennel? Your pictures make my mouth water, but I'm not a fan of fennel at all… An alternative would be great, maybe there's something on your blog?
Here it is advertised as a summer dish, I can say: The fillet steak on fennel simply tastes good all year round!! My boyfriend is a total fennel fan and meat lover, so I had to try this recipe 🙂 We now cook it at least once a month simply because it tastes so great! Thank you for this great recipe! Greetings from the Black Forest Nina
Reply
Hello Nina, thank you for your nice and positive message. Very good, always nice tasty cooking! 🙂 LG Thomas Sixt
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Restaurant feeling at home! 🙂 I even managed to get just the right doneness…
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Hello, that makes me happy, wonderful, keep enjoying it! Kind regards Thomas
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Steak with wow factor, I thought it was great and tasty! Thanks very much 🙂
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Hello Henrike, you're welcome, please keep it up… LG Thomas Sixt
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Great instructions, thanks for that, cooked at home today due to Corona. Tastes great!
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Hello Unna, thanks for the message and compliment! Kind regards, Thomas Sixt
Steak with light side dishes like fennel is always a hit!