Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Steak with Peppercorn Sauce


The whole time I was eating dinner tonight, I couldn’t help but think of Jim. He loved a good steak in a tasty sauce, particularly one that took as little effort as possible. This recipe is just that. It’s from Clotilde Dusoulier’s new book Tasting Paris: 100 Recipes to Eat Like a Local. Pair this steak with a couple of microwaveable side dishes as I did, and dinner can be on the table in 15 minutes, and an elegant one at that.

This is one of those recipes that I am going to turn to again and again, because there’s really nothing to it. You sear a steak on both sides, continue to cook it to desired doneness, move it to a cutting board to rest, and then whip up the sauce. The sauce takes no time at all, and if you have all of your ingredients next to the stove and ready, the whole dish can be finished in 10 minutes, depending upon your desired doneness of the steak. I made only one serving, and truthfully, I didn’t measure thing. It’s that easy.

I used a
top sirloin from Omaha Steaks. It was probably about 3/4"-1" thick, and I like my steak medium-rare. The entire cooking time was no longer than eight minutes after I had preheated the pan. The sauce took no longer than two minutes, so my meal, including warming time for the potato casserole that I had left over, and frozen peas, was on the table in 15 minutes. I still can’t believe it. For a less expensive meal, consider using this delicious sauce over chopped steak patties, and serve it to the entire family.

Steak with Peppercorn Sauce
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

1-1/2 pounds boneless beef steak, 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick, your choice of cut (I used
Omaha Steaks’ top sirloin)
Fine sea salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup cognac or brandy
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon white or black peppercorns, cracked (I used
Melissa’s Rainbow Peppercorn Grinder)

About an hour before serving, remove the meat from the refrigerator and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt.

In a large, heavy pan, heat the oil over medium high heat until it is just beginning to smoke. Add the meat and cook without disturbing for three minutes until a golden crust forms. Flip and repeat on the other side. Flip again and then cook, flipping and basting with the juices every 20 to 30 seconds, until the meat is browned on the outside and cooked to your liking on the inside.

Transfer the steak to a cutting board and cover with foil to allow to rest while you prepare the sauce.


Reduce the heat under the pan to medium. Pour in the cognac, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to loosen up the bits. Whisk in the butter and cook for one minute. Whisk in the cream and cracked peppercorns and stir until warmed through.

Cut the meat into servings, if needed, and divide among 4 to 6 plates. Spoon sauce over the meat.


As I mentioned earlier, Jim loved a good steak. Jim’s Steak Diane was one of his favorite recipes.




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5 comments:

Linda said...

We have some rib-eyes in the freezer, and I'm going to try that sauce!

Debbie - Mountain Mama said...

Steak Au Poivre is one of my all time favorite dishes, Pattie! Pinning!! You're making my tummy growl and it's not quite lunchtime yet!

Alycia Nichols said...

So I’m sitting here in the hospital waiting room starving since I could only manage a quick bowl of cereal at 5 this morning before dashing out to get here on time. There are vending machines filled with junk food, a huge bowl of candy on the vokunteer’s desk, and the aroma of “food” wafting from the cafeteria. You’re makin’ me crazy with this!!!

sandy said...

so much good stuff on here since I last visited! I want to eat at your house.

Miz Helen said...

This looks amazing! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you again real soon!
Miz Helen