STEAK AU POIVRE

Steak au poivre or pepper steak is aFrench dish that consists of a steak, traditionally a filet mignon, coated with loosely cracked peppercorns and then cooked. The peppercorns form a crust on the steak when cooked and provide a pungent but complementary counterpoint to the rich flavor of the high-quality beef. The peppercorn crust itself is made by placing the steak in a bed of cracked black (or mixed) peppercorns. Typically, the steak is seared in a hot skillet with a small amount of butter and oil to cook it. The steak is seared at a high temperature to cook the outside quickly and form the crust while leaving the interior rare to medium rare. The steak is then left to rest for several minutes and then served.

Steak au poivre is often served with pan sauce consisting of reduced cognac, heavy cream, and the fond from the bottom of the pan, often including other ingredients such as butter, shallots, and/or Dijon mustard. Common side dishes to steak au poivre are various forms of mashed potatoes andpommes frites (small fried shoestring potatoes). Steak au poivre may be found in traditional French restaurants in most urban areas.

                        STEAK AU POIVRE

SERVES 4

4 tournedos (thick filet mignon

    steaks cut from the center of

    the tenderloin and tied with

    string), weighing about

    7oz (200g) each

1 tbsp dried green peppercorns

1 tsp black peppercorns

1/2 tsp white peppercorns

pinch of sea salt

4 tsp Dijon mustard

3 tbsp olive oil

5 tbsp cold unsalted butter,

    diced

Pommes Mousseline

    to serve

Take the steaks out of the refrigerator about half an hour before

you want to cook them.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Coarsely crush the peppercorns and salt in a mortar and pestle.

Coat the steaks with the mustard, then with the peppercorns.

Put a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. When hot, pour in

the oil and heat until it is hot, then fry the steaks until they are seared

all over. Add the diced butter and let it melt into the hot oil—it will calm

everything down and turn the fat and juices a nut-brown color (called

beurre noisette in French).

Transfer the pan of steaks to the oven. Roast for 4 minutes for

rare meat, 7 minutes for medium. Baste the steaks with the juices

in the pan halfway through cooking.

Remove the steaks from the oven and let them stand in a warm

place for about 4 minutes.

Snip the string off the steaks, then cut each steak into four

even slices. Arrange on plates, drizzle with the pan juices, and

serve the potatoes alongside.

To get peppered steaks cooked exactly how you like them, the combination of

pan-frying and roasting gives the best results. If you pan-fry the steaks for the

whole cooking time, the peppercorns will scorch and turn bitter.

 Brush mustard evenly all over the

steaks. This will give the peppercorns

a sticky surface to cling to, as well as

adding extra flavor to the meat. 

Roll the steaks in the crushed

peppercorns on a flat surface, and

pat them firmly with your hands to

make sure they stick evenly. They

should cover the sides of each

steak, and the top and bottom

For accurate cooking, sear the

steaks in the hot oil for exactly

6 minutes (1 minute on each sideand 1 minute each for the top

and bottom). The roasting time

in the oven then varies, accordingto how well you like your steak

cooked—rare or medium