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Peppercorn Strip Steaks

Classic French steak au poivre: strip steaks pressed into a crust of cracked black peppercorns, seared hard, then finished with a cognac-flambéed cream-and-butter pan sauce.

Peppercorn Strip Steaks
Photo: Pexels

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • to taste salt
  • to taste olive oil
  • 3 tbsp black peppercorns, cracked
  • 4 boneless strip steaks, trimmed of excess fat
  • ¼ cup cognac
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Steps

  1. Sprinkle the garlic with salt.
  2. Rub with the side of the knife repeatedly until the garlic forms a thick paste.
  3. Rub the steaks with oil.
  4. Season on both sides with salt.
  5. Then press peppercorns into both sides of the meat.
  6. Let sit until room temperature, about 30 minutes.
  7. Heat a stainless steel skillet large enough to hold the steaks over high heat.
  8. Pour some oil into the pan.
  9. Then add the steaks.
  10. Cook 4 minutes per side for medium rare.
  11. Remove and keep warm.
  12. Pour out the excess fat but do not scrape the pan.
  13. Deglaze the pan with cognac.
  14. Then turn off the heat.
  15. Ignite with a firestick.
  16. Shake the pan until the flames die.
  17. Bring to a boil.
  18. Cook until reduced by half.
  19. Then whisk in the cream and garlic.
  20. Whisk in the butter.
  21. Once the butter has melted completely, spoon over the steaks.
  22. Serve immediately.

Adapted from “Peppercorn Strip Steaks”, Wikibooks Cookbook, CC BY-SA 4.0. This adaptation is shared under the same licence.

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