Directions: |
Directions:Bring the meat to room temperature by removing from refrigeration about 20 minutes before starting to cook.
Place saute pan over medium high heat and add two tablespoons of butter
Place peppercorns in a plastic zip top bag. Mash the bag with a rolling pin or cast iron skillet to pulverize the peppercorns. This is the hardest step of the entire process.
Pour pulverized peppercorns into a shallow saucer or plate.
Pat the meat dry with a paper towel and season with salt on both sides. Now push the meat into the peppercorn laden saucer from step 4, on both sides, to encrust the meat with the black pepper bits.
The butter should have finished melting, it will foam a bit and a smell not unlike nutmeg will fill the air. Before the butter burns, add the meat to the pan!
Cook the steaks a total of three minutes on each side (6 minutes total) for medium rare, 4 minutes on each side (8 minutes total) for medium. They should only be flipped once. If you want to try to look fancy, tilt the pan to get any of the butter into the edge, and quickly spoon the butter over the top of the steaks to enhance the cooking on the side facing you.
Remove the meat from the pan to a safe and clean area to rest, cover with an aluminum foil tent. This part gives the meat a time to reach a comfortable stage where all of the juice won’t run out when you cut it.
Reduce the heat to medium low and add half the brandy to the pan.
Add another 2 tablespoons of butter and the heavy cream. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon loosening the bits of steaky goodness, called fond, in the bottom of the pan.
Return the heat to medium-high and stir constantly. The sauce will reduce and thicken. You want it to reduce approximately half. Just watch the edge of your pan and eyeball when it is about half its original volume and thicker probably taking another 5 minutes.
Plate the rested steaks and cover with the reduced sauce. |
This recipe for STEAK AU POIVRE is from