Steak with Pepper Sauce

One of the best steak sauces in this world, this is the creamy peppercorn sauce used in Steak au Poivre.

Ingredients

• For The Steak  ·   
• Olive Oil  ·  1 tablespoon 
• Salt & Black Pepper  ·   
• New York Strip 10oz  ·  2 
• For The Sauce  ·   
• butter  ·  2 tablespoons 
• finely chopped shallots  ·  1 tablespoon 
• beef stock  ·  3/4 cup 
• cream , heavy/thickened  ·  1/2 cup 
• Herbies Pepper Cracked Asta Black  ·  4 teaspoons 
• brandy or cognac  ·  1/3 cup 

Instructions

It's super simple because it's made using the steak drippings and either brandy or cognac.

The alcoholic taste is cooked out and you're left with an amazing sweet/savory/creamy sauce with great depth of flavor and beautiful pops of heat from the peppercorns.

Take the steaks out of the fridge 20 minutes before planning to cook.

For The Steak

1. Take the steaks out of the fridge 20 minutes before planning to cook.
2. Just before cooking, sprinkle both sides of steak generously with salt and black pepper.
3. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat until smoking.
4. Add steaks and cook the first side for 2 minutes until it has a great crust, then flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes (for medium rare).
5. Stack the steaks on top of each other, then use tongs to sear the fat strip.
6. Transfer to plate, cover loosely with foil to rest while you make the sauce.

For The Sauce

1. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp very finely chopped shallots and sauté gently for 1 minute.
2. Add brandy or cognac into the same skillet and let it simmer rapidly, scraping the bottom of the pan, until it has mostly reduced and you can no longer smell the harsh alcohol smell
3. Add broth, bring to simmer and let it simmer rapidly for 2 to 3 minutes or until it reduces by half.
4. Turn heat down to medium. Add cream and pepper, stir, then simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until it thickens (do not let it boil rapidly).
5. Taste sauce, adjust salt (and pepper!) to taste.
6. Transfer steaks to warmed serving plates. Spoon over sauce. Serve immediately!