Steak au Poivre
Happy Valentine’s Month!
I was only 15 years old when I had Steak au Poivre for the first time, and I was on a date with my now husband of 34 years! He was in the military stationed in Spain where my family had recently moved. For my 16th birthday, he gave me a giant stuffed dog, a trilogy of Norman Rockwell books, and this lovely meal of Steak au Poivre at a restaurant called Rancho Texano near Madrid. You might not think of Steak au Poivre as being Spanish and indeed, it is not. It is full-on French. However, a restaurant with a name like "Rancho Texano" can serve steaks from every country's cuisine, right?
For years, I would order Steak with Pepper at restaurants and was always disappointed because it came with sautéed sweet peppers rather than a pepper sauce. Fast forward through the years and I created this recipe from memory. It is written for two as a cozy date-night meal, but feel free to scale it for more for a special dinner party or family dinner.
Ingredients:
2 steaks of your choice (We buy a Porterhouse steak and cut it from the bone. He likes the strip and I enjoy the filet.)
Salt, to season generously
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 sprigs rosemary
2 Tbsp butter
⅓ cup Cognac
¼ cup crème fraiche (If you can’t find crème fraiche, you can substitute sour cream.)
1 tablespoon black pepper, freshly ground
Method:
Remove steaks from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. Season well with salt. Use a cast iron skillet if you have one. The next choice would be stainless steel but always avoid non-stick skillets.
Sear the steaks and cook to your desired doneness (see guide below):
- For rare, cook for 7 minutes total, 3½ on each side. The internal temperature will be 115-120° Fahrenheit.
- For medium rare, cook for 8 minutes total, 4 on each side. The internal temperature will be 130-140° Fahrenheit.
- For medium, cook for 9 minutes total, 4½ on each side. The internal temperature will be 140-150° Fahrenheit.
- For medium well, cook for 10 minutes total, 5 minutes on each side. The internal temperature will be 150-156° Fahrenheit.
- And for a tragically well-done steak, cook for 12 minutes total, 6 minutes on each side. The internal temperature will be 160-210° Fahrenheit.
Add butter, fresh rosemary, and garlic to the skillet. When the butter is melted, spoon the butter over them.
Remove the steaks to a platter and deglaze the skillet with cognac. You can light it on fire if you want! Add crème fraiche and lots of freshly ground pepper!
Bon Appétit!
Tammy Circeo, Freelance Recipe Writer
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