Steak Au Poivre (Peppered Steaks With Cognac Cream Sauce)

This dish is a classic of French cuisine. Simple and sophisticated. Sauteed steak covered with crushed peppercorns and served with a rich brandy cream sauce. Green beans & baked potatoes or garlic & rosemary potatoes make nice sides and a salad rounds out the meal.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Sauce

• 1  cup heavy cream
• 1  teaspoon  beef bouillon
• 1⁄2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon marsala wine or 1  tablespoon madeira wine
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1⁄4 cup cognac

• Steaks

• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 4 (8 ounce)  sirloin steaks, each 1-inch thick (room temperature)
• 2  tablespoons peppercorns, crushed (To crush, place the peppercorns in a plastic bag and flatten them with flat side of meat mallet)
•  garlic salt, to taste
• 1⁄2 loaf  French bread, cut into 1-inch thick rounds & toasted on both sides

Directions

1. In a saucepan, heat the cream until it reduces by half (20-30 minutes).
2. In a saute pan, heat the oil and butter.
3. Spread crushed peppercorns on a work surface.
4. Pat the steaks dry and coat both sides with an even layer of peppercorns, pressing in with heel of hand to make adhere; season to taste with garlic salt.
5. Lay the steaks in the pan.
6. Sear steaks over high heat to desired doneness (the steaks are medium-rare when they feel slightly resistant to touch and you can see a faint pearling of red juice on the surface).
7. Add bouillon, lemon juice, wine, and salt to the sauce, and stir.
8. When the steaks have cooked, remove them from the pan; pour in the brandy.
9. Ignite the brandy and, once the flames die down, stir to deglaze the pan; then add the brandy to the cream sauce.
10. Place each steak on a toasted slice of bread and top with sauce.