Vodkapundit - Friday Recipe Returns!

Friday Recipe Returns!

Posted by Stephen Green · 7 February 2003

This one is a personal fave that I stole and combined from my mother-in-law and The Steak Lover's Cookbook.

Steak Au Poivre Made Easy

You'll need:

2 filets mignons, cut not too thick.
A tablespoon or more of coarsely crushed black peppercorns (although green ones are tasty, too, just not strictly classic).
1 tablespoon unsalted butter.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil.
A pinch or two of salt.
3 tablespoons of cheap Cognac.
1/3 cup crème fraîche or whipping cream.

Cover the steaks top and bottom with the pepper and set aside.

Melt the butter and oil (you need both, or the butter will burn) in a cast-iron skilled on high heat. When you think maybe it's too hot, sear the steaks on both sides. 4 minutes on the first, 3 on the second. Maybe a bit less if you like your steaks mooing. Set aside the steaks and baste them with some of the gunk from the pan.

Pour out the rest of the gunk and put the steaks back in, but don't put it back on the burner yet. With the smallest pan you have, heat the Cognac on medium. When it boils, pour it on the steaks and set it on fire. If you want to be dramatic about it, light the Cognac while you're pouring, not after. (VodkaPundit refuses to accept responsibility for singed eyebrows, arm hairs, knuckles, kitchens, or city blocks.) Give the skillet a good shake or three to get everything mixed together after the flames die down. Then put the steaks aside again on a platter or the plates you're serving them on.

Same skillet on medium high heat, bring the crème fraîche to a boil and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon. Whisk it for a minute, add the salt, and pour over the steaks.

Oh, and for those not afraid of cholestoral poisoning, add extra crème fraîche and a tablespoon or two of beef stock to make more sauce.

Serve with the biggest Napa Cabernet you can find or afford.

Makes two people ready for some action.

Comments

For the sensitive reader:

mooing = rare

the gunk from the pan = drippings

Pour out the rest of the gunk = discard drippings

scrape the bottom = deglaze

Makes two people ready for some action = Makes a romantic dinner for two

Posted by: Brian at February 7, 2003 03:15 PM

TO: Stephen
RE: Made Any Good Books, Lately?

Get a copy of Bistro. I think you'll love the results.

Regards,

Chuck(le)

Posted by: Chuck Pelto at February 7, 2003 05:49 PM

TO: Brian
RE: Action!

"Makes two people ready for some action = Makes a romantic dinner for two" -- Brian

Kids....

Chuck(le)

Posted by: Chuck Pelto at February 7, 2003 05:50 PM

Your recipes are great and fun to read, but I deplore your insistence on using cheap booze to cook with. This whole "I'm cooking, so I'll use the rotgut" idea is a flawed kitchen maxim. The alcohol burns away and all that's left is the flavor--do you want it to be a nasty one? Hell, it's only two tablespoons or whatever. You can afford it. Bring on the XO, baby!

Posted by: Belle Waring at February 7, 2003 07:46 PM

Ironic, the infamous French basher that Stephen Green is still sticks to French basics when it comes to having a pseudo-sophisticated dinner (yes, steak au poivre is French, Cabernet is a french classification used by Californian vineyards, and crême fraîche is anything but French).

Posted by: Jones at February 7, 2003 09:51 PM

The french know food. They may be close-minded about many things but benevolent forces bless them for the food and wine.

Posted by: Greg at February 8, 2003 12:34 AM

Hey Jones,

Since all French grapes are now grafted to New World root stock, maybe it's Bordeaux that's Californian now!

Posted by: C. S. Froning at February 8, 2003 08:23 AM

Yeah, well, not really. What's more scary is that he buys such books as "The Steak Lover's Cookbook".

Posted by: Jones at February 8, 2003 07:39 PM

Cabernet is not a French classification. Their appellation controllee system is based on location -- Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, etc. Within these areas, traditional blends of grapes are allowed. Americans, on the other hand, have until recently been totally focused on single varietal wines such as cabernets, zinfandels, chardonnays. Most wine-growing areas in the US have no single characteristic style or even grape. I'm pretty sure I've seen creme fraiche in French supermarkets too.

Posted by: Troutgirl at February 9, 2003 01:49 AM

Sounds yummy, but I'm not quite ready for my husband to die of a heart attack. We'll pass on the recipes that involve cream. :)

Posted by: amy at February 10, 2003 09:20 AM

Sounds good.

My method uses fewer steps.

coat the bottom of a cast-iron pan with kosher salt.

heat till really freakin' hot.

same cooking time for steaks as yours.

remove meat and add 1T. (or a bit more) butter and 2 oz. (or a bit more) of the same big red wine you'll be drinking with dinner. Deglaze, and pour drippings over steaks.

serve with steamed spinach, and over-garliced garlic mashed.

Posted by: growler at February 10, 2003 12:03 PM

Made the dinner for the girlfriend tonight (Valentine's Day). Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. It was fabulous!

Posted by: Jay at February 14, 2003 09:01 PM