Steak au Poivre

I was only 15 years old when I had Steak au Poivre for the first time. And I was on a date with my now husband of 31 years! He was in the military stationed in Spain where my family had recently moved. For my 16th birthday, he gave me a giant stuffed dog, a trilogy of Norman Rockwell books, and this lovely meal of Steak au Poivre at a restaurant called Rancho Texano near Madrid.

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You might not think of Steak au Poivre as being Spanish and indeed, it is not. It is full on French. However, a restaurant with a name like "Rancho Texano" can serve steaks from every country's cuisine, right? For years, I would order Steak with Pepper at restaurants and was always disappointed because it came with sauteed sweet peppers rather than a pepper sauce. Fast forward through the years and I created my own reality from the memory.

What kind of steak to buy?

You should buy what you like to eat! For the two of us, I buy a Porterhouse steak because he likes the strip and I like the filet. We both win.

Cooking method

Remove the steaks from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. Season them well with salt. Use a cast iron skillet if you have one. The next choice would be stainless steel and always avoid non-stick skillets.

Sear the steaks and cook to your desired doneness.

How to know if your steak is done to your liking:

Based on a 1-inch thick steak and high heat, the following times and temperatures are a great guide:

• For a rare steak, cook it 7 minutes, 3 ½ on each side. The internal temperature will be 115-120 Fahrenheit.
• For a medium rare steak, cook it 8 minutes, 4 on each side. The internal temperature will be 130-140 Fahrenheit.
• For a medium steak, cook it 9 minutes, 4 ½ on each side. The internal temperature will be 140-150 Fahrenheit.
• For a medium well steak, cook it 10 minutes, 5 minutes on each side. The internal temperature will be 150-156 Fahrenheit.
• And for a tragically well done steak, cook it 12 minutes, 6 minutes on each side. The internal temperature will be 160-210 Fahrenheit.

Remember that the steak will keep cooking after you've removed them from the heat so take it off the heat sooner than you think they are done. You can always return it to the skillet if it's not quite done, but you can never reverse the cook!

Remove the steaks to a platter, then add butter, fresh rosemary, and garlic to the skillet. When the butter is melted, return the steaks to the skillet and spoon the butter over them.

To make the pepper sauce:

Remove the steaks to a platter and deglaze the skillet with cognac. You can light it on fire, if you want! Add creme fraiche and lots of freshly ground pepper!

Pour the sauce over the steaks and enjoy one of the most satisfying meals you'll ever make. Serve the steaks with frites or roasted vegetables and end the meal with a lovely green salad dressed with vinaigrette.

Other recipes you might like:

• Creamy Chicken Pepper Skillet Dinner
• Roast Chicken with Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce
• Fennel Braised Sausages
• Pork Chops with Marsala Fig Sauce

If you try this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment below and a star rating. Also, if you are on Instagram, post a photo and tag me @tammycirceocheznous so that I can see your delicious dish!

Recipe

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