Recipes Sparks's Sautéed Filet Mignon with Yellow Tomato Vinaigrette 5.0 (6,273) Add your rating & review Amazing Steak Recipes By Katy Sparks Katy Sparks Background Trained at Johnson & Wales in Providence, RI. Worked at The Quilted Giraffe and Mesa Grill, New York City. How she got into cooking After dropping out of Middlebury College, she made soups at a local café. First food memory "Smoked octopus that my father brought back from Chinatown when I was 14." Menu bomb Roasted squab on herb risotto with zucchini blossoms. Ingredient pick Long Island corn. Favorite equipment "I'm not a big equipment person. I keep my knives nice and sharp and use them instead of an industrial chopper." Favorite cookbook Anything written by Patricia Wells. Favorite place to eat Blue Ribbon, New York City. Favorite cocktail Straight-up Beefeater martini with a twist. Most tired trend "Casual American bistros, where the menus seem to be driven by price, not flavor." Secret of her success "My husband, who's the dishwasher at home, would say I'm successful because I use every pot and pan in the kitchen." Favorite 1 A.M. meal "Any kind of pasta; or steak if it was a really hard night at the restaurant." Food vice Bar nuts. Recipe tip Constantly baste filet mignon with melted butter while it's cooking to keep it juicy. Won Best New Chef at: Quilty's, New York (closed) Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 6, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Gentl & Hyers Yield: 4 Ingredients 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup coarsely chopped basil, 1/4 cup finely shredded leaves, plus basil sprigs, for garnish 3 1/2 tablespoons capers 3/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 3/4 teaspoon minced garlic Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 medium yellow tomatoes—cored, seeded and finely chopped 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons rice vinegar 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest 2 saffron threads, crushed 2 tablespoons canola oil Four 7-ounce filet mignon steaks, about 1 3/4 inches thick 1 pound grilled asparagus (see Note) Directions In a food processor, blend the butter with the coarsely chopped basil, 2 tablespoons of the capers, the lemon zest and the garlic until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a small bowl. In a bowl, toss the tomatoes with the onion, olive oil, vinegar, orange zest and saffron. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the canola oil in a large heavy skillet until almost smoking. Season the steaks, add them to the skillet and cook over high heat until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter and pour off the fat from the skillet. Return the meat to the skillet and add the basil butter. Lower the heat to moderately high and cook, basting the meat continuously with the butter sauce, 6 to 8 minutes for medium rare. Remove the pan from the heat, return the steaks to the platter and cover loosely with foil. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of capers and the shredded basil to the skillet. Arrange the grilled asparagus on 4 large plates and spoon the tomato vinaigrette alongside. Set the sautèed steaks on the vinaigrette and spoon the caper butter sauce on top. Garnish with the basil sprigs and serve at once. Notes To grill asparagus, toss lightly with oil, season with salt and pepper and cook on a grill or in a grill pan over moderate heat for about 3 minutes. Suggested Pairing A premier cru Burgundy is full-flavored enough to work with the meat as well as the caper butter. Rate it Print