Steak au Poivre

By susanwadle

Elegance in a hurry. For a little extra flavor, coat the steaks with the peppercorns an hour or so before cooking and let them sit at room temperature. Use a decent wine here (I like Zinfandel or something equally fruity). And make sure your skillet will hold the steaks comfortably, without either crowding them (which will cause them to steam rather than brown) or leaving too much room, which will allow the butter to burn. This recipe is easily varied; use any spice rub or ground Sichuan peppercorns in place of the black peppercorns. You could also use the same technique and seasonings with lamb chops or veal chops. Serve the steaks with baked or mashed potatoes and caesar salad.

Ingredients

• • 4 tenderloin (filets mignons or tournedos), strip, or rib-eye steaks, 4 to 6 ounces each
• • Freshly ground black pepper or a mixture of black pepper and crushed (see Step 2) allspice berries
• • 3 tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil
• • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• • 3/4 cup Zinfandel or other good red wine
• • 2 sprigs fresh tarragon or 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon, plus fresh sprigs for garnish (optional)
• • Salt

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from msnbc.msn.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes; turn the oven to 200° F.

2. Sprinkle the steaks liberally with pepper. If you want genuine steak au poivre, coarsely grind about 1 tablespoon of pepper and press it into the meat; about 1 part ground allspice berries to 3 parts pepper lends another interesting dimension.

3. Put 2 tablespoons of the butter into the skillet; when the foam subsides, turn the heat up to medium-high and put in the steaks. Cook the steaks for about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare meat, a bit longer if you like it medium to well done. Undercook them a bit as they will continue to cook in the oven. Transfer the steaks to an ovenproof platter and put the platter in the oven. Over medium heat, add the remaining butter to the pan, along with the shallot. Stir until the shallot softens, about 1 minute.

4. Add the wine and tarragon, raise the heat to high, and let most of the liquid bubble away. Pour any juices that have accumulated around the steaks into the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the steaks and serve, garnished with additional tarragon if you like.