Roommate Dinner

I live with 2 other girls in an apartment. Since, we all have busy lives, we get together sometimes and have roommate dinner to catch up and just see how everyone is doing. So, as I was looking in the local supermarket papers one week, I saw a sale on bone-in ribeye. I got a great deal on 4 steaks. I decided to use some of the steaks for a roommate dinner.

So, I decided to make my favorite style of steaks. The French style called Steak Au Poivre. I love the use of cracked peppercorns with a nice creamy sauce. Yes, this recipe is suppose to use filet mignons but any good quality meat can be used. I am not a vegetable type of gal so I had my roommate make those. I made mashed potatoes to accompany the steak. When searching for a steak au poivre recipe, I saw so many possibilities, from adding herbs, using cream in the sauce, to using raisins. I remembered a few years ago I got a Wolfgang Puck cookbook and in it had a version of Steak Au Poivre which used raisins and no heavy cream. Since I knew my roommate did not like heavy cream and lactose, I decided to use his recipe. I also did like the non use of heavy cream which can add many more calories to a already heavy dish. Don't get me wrong, I love the traditional recipe with the use of heavy cream in the sauce, it makes it richer and a little tastier but it is always nice to try a new spin on an old tradition. That is what cooking is all about.

I started by preparing the ingredients for the steak. I crush the whole peppercorns by placing them in a plastic bag and used a meat mallet to just coarsely crush. I spread kosher salt all on the steak and then push the steak into the crushed peppercorns to get a nice coating (you can put as much as you like of the peppercorns to your taste). Then I let it rest for a few minutes. I heat a saute pan until just near smoking and add olive oil. Lay one steak in pan and do not touch for 4 min. for medium rare, then flip and another 4 minutes. Check steaks before taking out of pan, depending on size of steaks the time may vary.

Steak with the peppercorn and salt seasoning cooking in a sauté pan

Next I make the sauce, do not wipe the pan, this is what gives the sauce its nice flavors and taste. You will be using the sherry to deglaze the pan deposits. Pour dry sherry in the pan and using a wooden spoon, scrape up the little bits that have been left in the pan. Cook this until reduced by half. Then, add raisins and chicken stock. Cook this until reduced by half. Add some butter to get a nice thick glossy sauce.

This is the sauce reducing in pan

Finally, plate the steak and pour a few tablespoons of the sauce you just made on the steak. Add any sides, such as mashed potatoes and vegetables.

Finished plate with the Steak au poivre with sauce and side of mashed potatoes

Recipe I used, Peppered steak with Sherry and Rasins (steak au poivre):

2 tablespoons of whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons whole white peppercorns
6 steaks (Use whatever cut of beef you like)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup dry sherry
1 cup beef stock or chicken stock or 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup golden or brown raisins
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Method

1. To crack the peppercorns, put them in a resealable heavy plastic food-storage bag. Place the bag on a flat work surface and, with the bottom of a heavy saucepan or skillet, tap them lightly to crack them into large pieces. Put the cracked peppercorns on a plate. One by one, sprinkle both sides of each filet evenly with salt to taste, and then press each side into the peppercorns to coat it.

2. Over high heat, heat a heavy skillet or sauté pan large enough to hold the steaks comfortably (cook the steaks in batches if your pan is not big enough). Add the oil and as soon as you see the slightest wisps of smoke, carefully add the steaks. Cook the steaks undisturbed for 4 minutes, then carefully turn them over and cook 4 minutes more for medium-rare. For well-done steams, reduce the heat to medium low and cook a few more minutes on both sides. Transfer the steaks to a heated platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep them warm while you make the sauce.

3. Pour off the excess fat from the skillet and return it to high heat. Add the sherry, stir and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits, and boil until it reduces to about half its original volume, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the stock and raisins and continue boiling until the liquid reduces by half again, 4 to 5 minutes more (if using hoisin sauce, simply stir it in). A piece at a time, whisk in the butter to form a thick, glossy sauce. Adjust the seasoning to taste with a little salt.

4. Transfer the steaks to individual serving plates. Stir the juices that have collected on the platter into the sauce. Spoon the sauce over and around the steaks and serve with a side of mashed potatoes or any sides you like.