It’s been a few months since I have posted after a recent spate of cooking many varieties of #thehadburger this summer and fall. I was reviewing many recipes coming into my inbox and Steak au Poivre caught my attention. I rarely order this at steakhouses as I often am a purist and prefer salt and pepper, and maybe an occasional house sauce. I literally live above The Capital Grill and always smell the savory scent of meat grilling wafting in my parking garage. Amazingly, I have never cooked this traditional preparation of the sacred steak. A recipe from Bon Appetite popped up on my feed, so I decided to give it a go.
Ingredients
4 Servings
3 – 1½”-thick New York strip steaks (about 2lb. total)
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 – Tbsp. whole black peppercorns (I had been using much more but the sauce became too chunky – vary to taste)
2 – Tbsp. vegetable oil – I use avocado as its much more healthy than other vegetable oils
4 – garlic cloves, 2 smashed, 2 thinly sliced
3 – sprigs thyme (I use much more)
3 – Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
2 – large shallots, finely chopped
⅓ – cup cognac, dry sherry, or brandy (Remy Martin adds a touch of class)
½ – cup heavy cream
Flaky sea salt
Preparation
Step 1
Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Season all over with kosher salt and a generous amount of ground pepper. Let sit 15–30 minutes.
Step 2
Coarsely crush peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder (they should be a lot coarser than ground pepper).
Step 3
Heat oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook steaks, undisturbed, until a deep golden brown crust forms underneath, about 3 minutes. Turn over and cook on the second side until golden brown, about 3 minutes. If the steaks have a fat cap, stand them on their sides with tongs and cook until browned, about 3 minutes.
Step 4
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add smashed garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and 1 Tbsp. butter to the pan. Cook, basting steak continuously until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each steak registers 120°, about 2 minutes. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.
Step 5
Meanwhile, combine shallot, sliced garlic, crushed peppercorns, and the remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in skillet and cook, stirring often until shallot and garlic are softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.
Step 6
Remove from heat and add cognac to the pan. Set over medium heat and cook until cognac is mostly evaporated and spoon leaves streaks in the skillet while stirring 1–2 minutes. Add cream, bring to a simmer, and cook until sauce coats spoon about 1 minute. Season with kosher salt.
Step 7
Slice steaks against the grain and transfer to a platter. Pour any juices from the cutting board back into the skillet and stir into sauce. Spoon sauce generously over steak; sprinkle with sea salt.
