Steak au Poivre

• porciones: 2
• tiempo activo: 20 minutes
• tiempo total: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredientes

Steaks:

2x 8-12 oz lean steaks (flank, hanger, filet mignon, sirloin, round)

1 tbsp high heat neutral oil

1 tbsp butter

A lot of coarsely cracked black pepper (as loose as your grinder allows)

Salt

au poivre Sauce:

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cognac or brandy

¼ cup beef broth

2 tbsp coarsely cracked peppercorns

1 tbsp butter

1 small shallot, finely minced

1 tsp dijon mustard

Sides:

Fries of choice to serve (I prefer thinner here)

Instrucciones

About 1 hour before you plan to start cooking, salt the steak and let them rest at room temperature. Just before cooking, preheat the oven to 350 F.

Cover each of the steaks in the coarsely cracked black peppercorns. Pat them into the meat to form a crust on all sides.

Heat a thick and wide pan over high heat and allow it to heat up. Turn on your vent hood if you have one, or open some windows for better airflow.

Add the oil to the pan and allow it to heat up. Then, place the steaks down and cook for about 3 minutes on the first side, or until you can smell strongly toasted pepper. Continue flipping until you’ve gotten a good sear on all sides. Be careful turning to keep the crust intact the best you can.

Once all sides are seared, add the butter to the pan and use it to baste the steaks for about 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat and transfer the steaks to a rack set over a sheet pan. Place them in the oven until they’ve reached your preferred level of doneness (this will vary by thickness). Once they’re there, cover in foil and let rest for 10 minutes or until you’re ready to serve.

Add the butter, shallots, and peppercorns for the sauce and put the pan back over medium heat. Cook until the shallots are soft, about 2 minutes.

Turn off the heat in the pan and add the cognac / brandy. Turn the heat back to medium and use it to deglaze the pan the best you can.

Once the cognac / brandy has reduced, add the beef broth and scrape up all the fond. Stir in the dijon mustard and heavy cream and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes. Season the sauce to taste, keeping in mind the steaks are seasoned on the outside.

To serve, remove the steaks from the foil and slice them thinly against the grain. Fan the slices out on a plate and pour a generous portion of sauce over. Serve alongside freshly cooked fries and enjoy!

Notas

A French recipe for a peppercorn-crusted steak with a cognac cream sauce, typically served with fries for a steak frites. This is an easy to execute extravagant meal that uses some basic cooking techniques to amplify the flavors at every step. The price point is determined entirely by the steak, so feel free to choose what you want there. Great for an upscale date night or to geek out about food with friends.