Air-Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Filets with Mushroom Sauce

The bacon-wrapped filet is the dish that says "this is a special occasion" without being so fussy that the cook can't actually enjoy the occasion. It's a steakhouse classic for a reason: filet mignon is lean, tender, and slightly forgiving on doneness; bacon adds the salt, fat, and crust that filet itself lacks. The whole thing is twenty minutes of attention and produces a plate that looks like a $58 entrée.

The air fryer is the right tool for this for two reasons. First, its high circulating heat sears the bacon properly all the way around the filet — something that's hard on a pan (you have to keep rotating). Second, the precision of pulling at the right temperature is easier when the cook time is shorter. A 1½-inch filet at 400°F reaches medium-rare (130°F / 54°C) in about 10 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer if you have one; if not, the 10-minute mark is the safe pull-time.

The mushroom sauce is the optional flourish that pushes this from "steak on a plate" to "actual steakhouse meal." You make it in 5 minutes in a skillet while the steaks rest: brown butter, mushrooms, garlic, thyme, a glug of red wine, beef broth, simmer to thicken, finish with another knob of butter. Spoon over the plated filet.

The photo shows the dinner-on-a-Tuesday-but-make-it-fancy plating: filet centred on the plate with a thick slice of mushroom sauce draped over, mashed potatoes alongside, a small pile of buttered green beans, mismatched salt and pepper grinders in the corner. This is what a home version of a steakhouse meal looks like, and it's better than most of the actual steakhouse versions because nobody is trying to rush you to the next table.