Ingredients
4 green onions, for garnish
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
¼ cup dry red wine
8 whole black peppercorns
¼ teaspoon rosemary
1 can (13¾ ounces) beef broth
2 pieces (8 ounces each) filet mignon
1. To make green onion fan garnishes, trim off the root end of each onion, and cut into 3-inch pieces. Discard the green tops. Starting about ½-inch down from the bulb, cut each onion length into 6 thin strips, making sure to keep the bulb intact. Submerge the onions in icy water for at least 30 minutes to allow them to fan out.
2. Meanwhile, put the olive oil, garlic, onion, celery and carrot in a 3-quart casserole. Cover. Microwave with 700 watts to soften the vegetables, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the red wine, peppercorns, rosemary and beef broth. Cover. Cook with 700 watts until boiling, 5 to 6 minutes. Still covered, heat with 400 watts for 25 to 30 minutes to develop flavor of broth. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Strain. You will have about 1¼ cups of broth.
3. Put the flavored beef broth in 2-cup measure. Cook with 700 watts until boiling, 1 to 3 minutes. Place chunks of the filet mignon at least 1-inch apart in a 1-quart, deep casserole. Add the hot broth over the meat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Braise with 400 watts until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of the meat reads 120 degrees, 6 to 7 minutes, for rare. Let sit on counter 5 minutes to finish cooking. Temperature should be 135 degrees for rare and 145 degrees for medium on the instant read thermometer.
4. Remove the meat to a cutting board and cut it into ¼-inch slices or thinner. To serve, layer slices on individual large plates that have a lip to help contain juices. Ladle ¼ cup broth over each serving. Garnish each with a green onion fan.
Do you cook in the microwave to save energy, space, both, or for some other reason? I once met a couple--at my great-grandfather's funeral reception, I think, but I was too young to remember clearly why I was there, so that's just a guess--who had cooked every meal in a microwave since they came out, because they believed that microwaves would save humanity through energy conservation.
Microwaves do use a lot less energy, but I use them because they're much less messy and a fair amount faster than conventional cooking. And, as long as you remember to remove dish covers with the down-side tilted away (so the steam escapes away from you), you'll never get burned again.