Directions: |
Directions:1. Pre-heat the oven to 425º F. Moisten the steaks very slightly with oil, then dredge each of the steaks in the crushed peppercorns, to thoroughly coat. Don't be shy with the pepper.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet, over high heat. When the oil is hot, add 2 ounces, which is half of the butter. Place the steaks in the pan and brown all sides, about 5 minutes per side.
3. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook to desired doneness, about 5 to 7 minutes for rare, 10 minutes for medium rare, and so on. Remove from the oven and remove the steaks from the pan to rest.
Directions for Sauce:
1. After removing the steaks, return the skillet to the stove top and carefully stir in the Cognac. As much fun as it is to create a column of flame, as you add the cognac, a flammable material, to the pan, it's not desirable or necessary, especially in a home kitchen. Therefore, it is recommended that you take the pan off of the flame, when you carefully add the Cognac, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon, to get every scrap, every peppercorn, every rumor of flavor, clinging to the bottom of the pan.
2. Place the pan on the flame again and cook the sauce down by about half. Stir in the demi-glace and reduce over medium heat, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Whisk in the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with scalloped potatoes or french fries.
If serving with scalloped potatoes, reserve a bit of the demi-glace, and just before you place the pan of potatoes in the oven, add some demi-glace around the edge of the pan to give a rich flavor that complements the steaks to the potatoes. |
This recipe for Filet Au Poivre is from