Beef Tenderloin Steak with Café de Paris Sauce

Beef fillet steak with Café de Paris sauce is one of the great classics of French bistro cuisine. Combining a tender cut of French beef with a rich, herb-infused butter sauce and crispy potatoes, it has become a favourite on bistro menus across France and beyond. This timeless French steak recipe remains a go-to choice for anyone looking to recreate authentic bistro flavours at home. 

In France, cooking the steak to the right level of doneness is almost as important as the quality of the meat itself. A traditional beef fillet steak may be served bleu (extra rare), saignant (rare), à point (medium) or bien cuit (well done), with saignant often considered the best way to enjoy its tenderness and delicate flavour. Allowing the meat to rest for a few minutes before serving helps keep it perfectly juicy. 

This recipe uses beef fillet steak, cut from the fillet: the most tender and prized cut of the animal. Because this muscle does very little work, the meat is exceptionally lean and melt-in-the-mouth, with a refined flavour that's more delicate than an entrecôte or ribeye. It's served with a homemade Café de Paris sauce made from shallots, butter, dry white wine, cream, Dijon mustard, tomato ketchup, soy sauce, thyme and anchovies, then paired with crispy oven-baked ridged potatoes drizzled with French olive oil for an elegant yet easy French meal.