Braised Steak Au Poivre Recipes

STEAK AU POIVRE

Steps:

• Crack peppercorns in a mortar or pestle or with a rolling pin. Press cracked peppercorns into the steaks.
• Heat butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks; cook, turning with tongs, until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium and cook steaks, turning often, until they begin to firm up and are hot and slightly pink in the center, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to a plate and cover to keep warm.
• Stir shallot into the skillet. Pour in cognac and red wine; simmer, stirring constantly, until reduced, about 2 minutes. Pour in beef broth and simmer, scraping browned bits off the bottom of the skillet, until sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in cream; cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Pour cream sauce over steaks.

STEAK AU POIVRE

Steps:

• Remove the steaks from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour prior to cooking. Sprinkle all sides with salt.
• Coarsely crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, the bottom of a cast iron skillet, or using a mallet and pie pan. Spread the peppercorns evenly onto a plate. Press the fillets, on both sides, into the pepper until it coats the surface. Set aside.
• In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil. As soon as the butter and oil begin to turn golden and smoke, gently place the steaks in the pan. For medium-rare, cook for 4 minutes on each side. Once done, remove the steaks to a plate, tent with foil and set aside. Pour off the excess fat but do not wipe or scrape the pan clean.
• Off of the heat, add 1/3 cup Cognac to the pan and carefully ignite the alcohol with a long match or firestick. Gently shake pan until the flames die. Return the pan to medium heat and add the cream. Bring the mixture to a boil and whisk until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add the teaspoon of Cognac and season, to taste, with salt. Add the steaks back to the pan, spoon the sauce over, and serve.

BRAISED STEAK AU POIVRE IN RED WINE

Steps:

• Begin by crushing the peppercorns coarsely with a pestle and mortar, then mix them together with the flour on a plate. Now dip the pieces of meat into this mixture, pressing it well in on all sides. Next, heat 2 tablespoons of the dripping or oil in the casserole, and when it is really hot and beginning to shimmer, quickly brown the pieces of meat, about 4 at a time, on both sides, then transfer them to a plate. After that, add the remaining dripping or oil to the pan and brown the onions for 3-4 minutes, still keeping the heat high. Then add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute. Now add any remaining flour and pepper left on the plate to the pan, stirring well to soak up the juices, then add the wine a little at a time, continuing to stir to prevent any lumps forming, and scraping in any crusty residue from the bottom and edge of the pan. When it's at simmering point, add the meat to the sauce, season it with salt, then pop in the bay leaves and thyme. Bring it back to a simmer, then put a lid on the casserole and transfer it to the middle shelf of the oven to cook for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. When you're ready to serve, remove the herbs, add the crème fraîche, stir it in well, then taste to check for seasoning before serving.

BRANDIED STEAK AU POIVRE

Steps:

• Mix pepper, basil, rosemary and onion powder. Rub pepper mixture into both sides of each steak.
• Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook beef in butter 7 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until medium-rare to medium. Remove beef from skillet; keep warm.
• Add brandy and broth to skillet. Heat to boiling, stirring to loosen brown bits from bottom of skillet; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 3 to 4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve beef with brandy mixture.