Filet Mignon with Mushroom Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter or margarine, divided

1⁄3 cup shallots, finely chopped

1⁄2 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

1 1⁄2 cup cabernet sauvignon or dry red wine, divided

1 can (10.5 oz) beef consomme, undiluted and divided

1 cracked black pepper, to taste

4 (4 oz each) filet mignon steak, about 1 inch thick

1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp corn starch

1 tsp dried thyme

1 sprig fresh thyme, optional

Directions:

Melt 1 1/2 tsp butter or margarine in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and emushrooms and saute for 4 minutes. Add 1 cup wine and 3/4 cup consomme and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl. Increase heat to high and cook the wine mixture until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Add to the mushrooms in the bowl and set aside.
Wipe the skillet with paper towel. Sprinkle pepper over the steaks. Melt remaining 1 1/2 tsp butter or margarine in the skillet over medium heat. Add steaks and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.
Combine soy sauce and corn starch. Add 1/2 cup wine and remaining consomme to the skillet and scrape the bottom of the skillet to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Add mushroom mixture, corn starch mixture, and dried thyme, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Serve sauce with the steaks. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.