Steak au Poivre

Notes

• Frying pan will splatter like mad.

Ingredients

• 1 large (1½-inch thick) boneless rib-eye (or strip) steak (about 1¼ pounds)
• 3 scant tbsp whole black peppercorns
• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) canola or vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp (30 g) minced shallot (ideally as finely minced as possible)
• ¼ cup (60 mL) Cognac or brandy
• ¾ cup (180 mL) chicken stock
• 2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 to 2 tbsp (15-30 mL) heavy cream (optional)

Steps

1. Remove the meat from the fridge and let sit for 20 minutes.
2. Prepare your peppercorns: Set your peppercorns on a cutting board and, little by little, using the flat side of a large chef’s knife, press a (manageable!) cluster of peppercorns until they’re crushed. Transfer to a pie dish or similar vessel.
3. Lightly season both sides of the meat with about ¾ teaspoon salt total. (Be conservative, as you’ll be preparing a pan sauce from the meat drippings later, and you can always add salt then.) Dredge the meat in the peppercorns, coating both sides.
4. Heat the oven to 425 ºF, then heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Once the oil is rippling hot — it should sputter if you flick a peppercorn into it — place the meat in the pan and brown on both flat sides, about 4 minutes per side. (If you have a sizable fat cap — a thick layer of white, chewy fat — on either of the smaller sides, sear them off until browned, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side.) If possible, take the temperature of your meat before adding it to the oven, so you have a sense of how long it’ll need to cook.
5. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes for medium-rare (the temperature should be about 132 degrees). Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the meat to a cutting board to rest.
6. Add the shallot to the skillet and cook over medium-high until softened, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Turn off the burner, then pull the hot skillet off the heat. Add the Cognac. (If the reaction between the heat and alcohol produce a flame, don’t panic! It will subside in a minute.)
7. Return to the stovetop, stir to deglaze and cook over medium-high 1 to 2 minutes, until the liquid evaporates. Add the stock and cook until thickened and saucy, 6 to 8 minutes.
8. When the sauce is almost done reducing, slice the steak crosswise into ½-inch slices.
9. Once the sauce has reduced until thick enough to coat a spoon, pull it off the heat. Whisk in the butter, then the heavy cream (if using) and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the sauce on a serving plate and transfer the steak on top. Serve immediately.

Source

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026264-steak-au-poivre-for-two