Steak au Poivre Recipe
You’ll find the taste of France and the American South blended in the Alabama kitchen of Frank Stitt, a true Southern gentleman. While studying philosophy at the University of California at Berkeley in the 1970s, Frank met Alice Waters, during the early days of Chez Panisse. It was a meeting that changed his career course. After living in Europe, he returned to his home state and opened the Highlands Bar and Grill, then Bottega, Bottega Café, and Chez Fonfon, all of which have been named to countless lists of the best restaurants of the South. In this classic French dish, he infuses a creamy, peppery sauce with the flavor of a Southern staple: Tennessee whiskey. Chef Stitt cooks the steak in a cast-iron skillet, but you can use any heavy skillet that can withstand high heat. New York strip steaks are best when the tail and the fat are left on until after you’ve finished cooking them. Remove the tail just before slicing.
- 2 New York strip steaks, each 3/4 pound and 1 1/2 inches thick
- 2 cups beef stock
- Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey
- 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, cracked
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Bring the steaks to room temperature. Place the stock in a small saucepan and bring it to boil over high heat. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Set aside.
- Heat a 16-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and season on both sides with salt and coarsely ground pepper. Add the oil to the skillet and swirl the pan to coat the bottom. When the oil starts to smoke, add the steaks and decrease the heat slightly. Cook, turning once, for about 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, wipe any excess oil out of the skillet and return to high heat. Add the whiskey, being careful it does not come in contact with an open flame. Cook for 30 seconds, scraping the sides and bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Add the stock and cracked pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Stir in the cream and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until reduced by half. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cut the steak into thin slices across the grain, arrange on a warmed serving platter, and spoon the sauce over the top. Serve.
Beverage pairing: Matthews Claret, Washington. In the spirit of the American whiskey in this dish, we’ll have an American wine. This claret is a blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but with a good dose of Cab Franc. Elegant and balanced, it has the luscious black fruit and spice that the beef and peppercorns crave.
This recipe, while from a trusted source, may not have been tested by the CHOW food
team.
wimpy?? you sound like a doucherod. I actually registered on this site just to tell you that. I bet youre so fucking annoying in person. That recipe sounds grub.... I like food, not hyperanalyzing chefs. dork
wimpy?? you sound like a doucherod. I actually registered on this site just to tell you that. I bet youre so fucking annoying in person. That recipe sounds grub.... I like food, not hyperanalyzing chefs. dork
this is a wimpy steak au poivre. i have just returned from sarajevo, and on two successive nights i had my favorite dish, steak au poivre.
and on the third night, in new york.
at the first restaurant, the chef was timid, but the meat was tender and delicious, and instead of cream he used sour cream. also, he added major peppercorns, not the 1/4 teaspoon in the recipe. who could taste them?...+READ
this is a wimpy steak au poivre. i have just returned from sarajevo, and on two successive nights i had my favorite dish, steak au poivre.
and on the third night, in new york.
at the first restaurant, the chef was timid, but the meat was tender and delicious, and instead of cream he used sour cream. also, he added major peppercorns, not the 1/4 teaspoon in the recipe. who could taste them? there was also a major dollop of mustard. fabulous, especially since the beef was filet, rare, and i did not need a fork to cut it.
the next night, at taberna in sarajevo, the steak au poivre was to die for. this is a major restaurant, it could stand with any. the young chef is incredible. the sauce was peppery beyond belief, but did not disguise a stunning piece of filet. there was brandy, not jack daniel's, to provide a liquid medium. and again, a lot of butter and sour cream, not sweet cream (rarely used in cooking in central and southeast europe). piquant, flavorful - it was the steak of steaks, especially since the large filet had been pounded and pounded and quickly cooked in butter.
the third night was in nyc. at a famous restaurant. it was a ny strip, very flavorful but a little chewy relative to the beef in europe. the sauce was mediocre - lots of peppercorns, but lacking levels of flavor. the sauce has to have a little good mustard, and first class whiskey or brandy, this had neither. good meat, not memorable sauce.
take me back to sarajevo, they know how to make steak au poivre.
rs-COLLAPSE
It still does - just over to the left of the page.
did this recipe change? didn't it use to specify certain cuts of steak to use?