This steak au poivre recipe is simple, delicious and perfect for a dinner date night with that special someone.
Ingredients:
4 (6-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks
1 small shallot
2 tablespoons coarse ground peppercorns
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/4 cup Cognac or brandy
1/2 cup beef stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
Preparation:
- Remove any twine from 4 beef tenderloin steaks. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, finely mince 1 small shallot.
- Season the steaks all over with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Use your hands to press the ground pepper onto the top and bottom of the steaks.
- Heat a large cast iron or stainless-steel skillet over high heat until it starts to smoke. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the unsalted butter, then add the steaks and cook until medium-rare and a brown crust forms, 2 to 3 minutes per side (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the steak should register about 130 F). Transfer the steaks to a plate or clean cutting board and cover with aluminum foil.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon of the unsalted butter and shallot. Sauté until the shallot is translucent, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Add 1/4 cup Cognac. Return the pan to medium heat and simmer, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, until mostly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup beef stock, increase the heat to medium-high, and simmer until reduced slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream and the remaining 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. Stir until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in accumulated juices on the steak plate or cutting board. Serve the steaks on a bed of the sauce, with more sauce spooned on top.
