Steak au Poivre
Description
Steak au Poivre is a traditional French dish that features a rich beef steak coated in roughly cracked peppercorns and served with a creamy shallot and cognac sauce. In spite of its formal French roots (and the rather long-winded instructions), it's actually quite easy to make and makes a good show for a fancy meal with friends. I like to make it outside, using my grill as a cooktop for my cast iron skillet, in the summertime--just watch out for any low-hanging branches!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 200*
Take steaks out of the refrigerator and spritz liberally with lime juice. Sprinkle liberally with salt. After about 30 minutes, turn the steaks and do this to the other side. Let steaks sit for about an hour, or until they have come to room temperature and the salt has fully melted into the meat.
Place peppercorns in a ziplock bag and crush them using the back of a skillet, a rolling pin or a tenderizing mallet. Place the crushed peppercorns onto a plate.
Dry the steaks with a paper towel, and gently press the steaks into the peppercorns, making sure to fully coat the steaks with the peppercorns, forming a "crust."
Heat your cast iron skillet on medium-high heat until you can see heat rising off the skillet, but not smoking hot. Pour oil into the pan--be sure to use a high-heat oil like pecan oil to avoid too much smoking.
Put the steaks into the pan and cook without disturbing for 3-4 minutes, depending on how well-done you like your steak.
Keep a splatter screen handy if it starts to splatter too much.
Flip the steaks and cook for another 3-4 minutes. This technique should yield a beautiful sear on the steak when you flip it:
Once you've seared the steaks on the second side, remove them to an oven-safe plate and place them in the pre-warmed oven.
Turn heat down to medium and add butter--it will melt QUICKLY, so have the chopped shallots ready to toss in as soon as the butter melts.
Saute the shallots, stirring constantly and scraping up the bits and bobs leftover from searing the steaks--this will make your sauce extra tasty! Continue to saute until the shallots are golden, but not brown.
Now--the big moment!
**And please note--SAFETY FIRST!!! I left a utensil on the side of the pan for this glamour shot--don't make my mistake. It didn't get me into any trouble, but it could have--remove anything flammable from your cooking space before performing this step!!**
Add the cognac to the pan and have a lighter stick in hand--ignite the cognac and stand back!!
Let the cognac burn off (about a minute) and then let the sauce simmer for a few seconds. Add the cream and any juices from the meat. Let the mixture heat through and bring to a simmer--let the mixture reduce a little and then stir in 1 tablespoon of butter.
Take the steaks out of the oven, pour sauce over them and viola! Get ready for a feast!
Serve with hassleback potatoes or zucchini boats (or both!) and a nice, big cabernet--or better yet a spicy zinfandel like one from Ridge Vineyards--for a fun and festive dinner. Salud!
