Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

This recipe is quite a stunner. With just a few good quality, fresh ingredients, you can whip up a fancy date night meal that’s sure to impress. The star of this recipe, as always, is the juicy, marbled Wagyu sirloin filets. However, the accompanying delicious, fruity sauce is quite literally the cherry on top.

Instead of sirloin, other Wagyu steak cuts like New York Strip or ribeye are perfectly acceptable choices. But sirloin is preferable for getting small, juicy, bite-sized medallions. 

Ingredients

For the Medallions and Mushrooms:

• 1-2 pounds of Wagyu sirloin steak, cut into medium-sized medallions
• 8 ounces of baby Portobello mushroom, washed and sliced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon of avocado oil or any oil with a high smoke point and mild flavor
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

For the Cherry Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 2-3 cups of fresh cherries with stems and pits removed (if you’re in a pinch, a jar of unsweetened pitted cherries will work as well)
• ½ cup of Merlot or your favorite dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon of white sugar
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

To get the best flavor from your Wagyu beef, seer your filets on a screaming hot cast iron skillet before turning the flame down to medium. Cooking a Wagyu steak to medium-rare is preferred, and this goes for medallions as well, but feel free to cook to desired doneness. Keep in mind that larger cuts of steak will have longer cooking times.

The baby Portobello mushrooms and thyme bring earthy and sweet notes together beautifully. The rich, tart flavor of the cherry sauce pairs spectacularly well with mashed potatoes or a parsnip puree, but feel free to choose any favorite starchy side. Don’t forget a sturdy, crusty bread to mop up that savory sauce. You won’t want to miss a bite.

Instructions

For the Medallions and Mushrooms:

1. Let your Wagyu sirloin come to room temperature for about 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking. Room temperature beef is much easier to cook evenly.
2. Pat your beef medallions dry with paper towels and liberally season with salt and pepper on both sides.
3. Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Add the avocado oil. Once the oil is glistening and hot, add the steak medallions and cook for 2-3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Don’t move the medallions around while cooking, as this will prevent a nice seared crust from forming. Once one side is cooked, use tongs to flip over. Once cooked on both sides, remove Wagyu beef from the skillet and set aside.
4. Turn flame to medium and add butter. Add sliced mushrooms and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir and let cook for about 5 minutes. Once mushrooms have begun to brown, add minced garlic and fresh or dried thyme leaves. Stir and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove mushrooms from the skillet, set aside, and keep warm.

For the Cherry Sauce:

1. Don’t clean out your skillet, and return to medium heat. Add butter and sliced shallots and cook for about 3 minutes until softened. Add in the thyme and cherries and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Once the cherries begin to pop or ooze, add wine, vinegar, sugar, and Dijon mustard. Stir until well combined, using a spatula to scrape the brown bits from the skillet. Bring the mixture to a soft boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until sauce is reduced by about ⅓. This isn’t a very liquidy sauce, so there’s no need to add more liquid if the sauce reduces more than that. Taste for salt and pepper and add more if necessary.
3. Leave the heat on low and return the Wagyu medallions to the pan to warm.
4. Serve the medallions on a plate with cherry sauce and the mushrooms on the side. Fresh sprigs of thyme make the perfect garnish. Enjoy!