At Le B. in New York’s West Village, chef Angie Mar is paying homage to a bygone era of New York City—but one that isn’t that bygone. She’s channeling the energy of the Big Apple’s go-go ’80s and ’90s at her sumptuous restaurant. It was a time in the city when French fare was still king and the filet mignon was the beloved cut of beef.
Of course, the tender filet mignon has fallen out of favor in recent decades, derided as too lean and lacking in flavor compared to its sibling the ribeye. However, Mar loves the filet, feeling it really captures that age of dining. The chef is winning over critics of the cut by sourcing Miyazaki A5 Wagyu, which has rich marbling of intramuscular fat that American Angus can’t match. She heightens the luxury of the dish by leaning into her deep appreciation for French culinary traditions and using the filet as the base of a Steak Rossini, where she tops the seared beef with a generous lobe of foie gras, and a black truffle-infused sauce. It’s a dish that’s rich, unctuous, umami-laden, and heightened by the slightly sweet glaze.
In this episode of Culinary Masters, Mar takes our Culinary Editor Jeremy Repanich behind the scenes to see how this dish is made, and shares the inspiration behind its creation, from sourcing just the right variety of beef to finishing with a flaming Madeira sauce.
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