Warm Beef & Shaved Fennel Salad

1½” thick filet mignon, or New York strip steak
salt and pepper

For the salad:
1 small fennel bulb
5 chives chopped

For the dressing:
juice and zest of ½ a meyer lemon
1 T olive oil
pinch of sugar
salt & pepper to taste

Using a mandoline slice the fennel into 1/16” slices, discarding the tough bits that come from the core. Put the slices in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Refrigerate until you’re ready to make the salad.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take the fennel out of the fridge, and drain it in a strainer letting it air dry while you make the steak.

Remove the fillet from the refridgerator and give it at least 15 minutes to come to room temperature. Generously salt and pepper all sides of the fillet. Get a cast iron pan very hot on high heat. Sear 4 sides of the steak to get a nice brown crust. Once the steak is browned on all sides, quickly put the whole pan in the oven and turn the oven off.

Allow the steak to finish cooking as the oven cools down for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile whisk all the ingredients together for the dressing in a small bowl.

Remove the steak from pan and allow it to rest for 5 minutes on a plate.

Slice the steak at a 45 degree angle against the grain into ⅛” thick slices. Add this to the bowl with the dressing then add the fennel and chives. Toss to coat and serve immediately.