Grilled Steak with Peppercorn Sauce

The first time I made this dish, I was trying to impress my girlfriend (now my wife) with my cooking skills. I would like to think this dinner contributed to our getting married.

This was not the first time the Reluctant Gourmet has made his kitchen an arena for romance...... but that's another story. So, what did I cook for her?

One of my favorite restaurants in NYC is Raoul's; they make the best Steak au Poivre (peppercorns) in the city. So I decided to reproduce this dish. Since I am a city apartment dweller, I grilled the filet mignons on my anodized aluminum reversible range top grill.

Just beware they can be a little smoky if you don't have good ventilation. In addition we had mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and a tossed salad. I also served a wonderful California Cabernet Sauvignon. The result? Well, we had another date.

My Tips for Preparing Steak au Poivre

Prepare what you need before you start. It’s how the pros do it and it simplifies the process when you are scrambling to put it all together.
Make sure the grill is hot, really hot. This will sear the outside of the meat and keep the juices in.
And don’t use a fork to turn the steaks, use tongs or a spatula to prevent juices from leaking out. If you are using a broiler, you want to preheat it to get it hot for the same reason as above.
Buy yourself a potato ricer for mashed potatoes. It a great gadget to have in your kitchen, it looks like a giant garlic press, costs about six bucks, but there’s nothing better for smooth airy mashed potatoes.
A folding steamer platform that sits in almost any pot works great for your steamed veggies. Important, be careful not to overcook the broccoli, you want it to be crisp but tender.
Invest in a salad spinner. They’re inexpensive and work great. There’s nothing more unappealing than soggy lettuce. And speaking of lettuce, you may have grown up on iceberg, but try some red or green leaf lettuce for a little diversity.

Steak au Poivre (Peppercorns)
Serves 4
Cooking Techniques: Grilling

If you enjoy this recipe for Steak au Poivre, you will want to check my Steak with Wild Mushrooms.

INGREDIENTS

1 shallot
1 oz. Butter (1/4 stick)
1 tablespoon Cracked Peppercorns
8 ounces demi-glace*
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 medium sized steaks about 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick (Learn more about buying steaks here)
5 or 6 medium sized potatoes
1 fresh bunch of broccoli

* I use a product called Demi-Glace Gold in this recipe that you can purchase in many gourmet markets or find out where to purchase it online at GatewayGourmet.com. They have complete guides to using it and dozens of sauce recipes.

"Remember, never cook with any wine you wouldn't drink"

Online Sources

steak

PREP WORK

Get all your ingredients ready. Finely chop the shallot and parsley then crack your peppercorns. Have the demi-glace prepared and ready to go.

If you are using a grill to fire up these steaks, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to let it get hot.

HOW TO MAKE AT HOME

Cooking the Steaks:

Preheat the grill or broiler until it’s really hot. Season the steaks with a little salt and pepper. The meat should be placed about 3 to 4 inches from the heat source and cooked approximately 3-4 minutes per side depending how you like your steaks.

Mash your Potatoes: (check out making perfect mashed potatoes)Wash and peel the potatoes. If they’re thin skinned, try leaving the skin on for taste, texture, and nutrition. Cut them up into pieces, put them into a large pot, and cover them with cold water. Boil until tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Drain the cooked potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash them with a little butter and milk using a potato ricer if you have one. Otherwise use a hand masher or an electric mixer.

Steam your Broccoli:

Steamed broccoli: Wash and cut the broccoli stems from the florets. Add an inch of water to the pot with your steaming platform and bring it to a boil. Add the stems first and then the florets. Cover and steam for approximately 5 minutes. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

Prepare Sauce au Poivre: Melt 1/4 stick of butter in a sauce pan and sauté shallots (cooking quickly over high heat) until transparent for approximately 2-3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of cracked peppercorns. This is the hardest part to making this sauce. I opted for putting the peppercorns in zip lock bag and cracking them on my cutting board with a hammer. Noisy, but it worked. You can also use your pepper mill by adjusting the grind setting to largest grind. This requires your having a good quality pepper mill that has a wide range of adjustments. Click here to learn more about choosing a good quality pepper mill.

Add 1/2 cup of red wine, preferably something you may be sipping while you are preparing this meal. Don’t use plain old cooking wine, big mistake. Never cook with any wine you wouldn’t drink. Reduce this mixture to an essence which means until there is just a hint of wine left in the pan. Add the demi glace*, stir (with a whisk if you have one) until completely incorporated.

Simmer until the sauce has thickened, approximately 5-6 minutes. The sauce is thick enough when it will coat a spoon. Add 1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley, stir, and serve over the steaks.

*If using More Than Gourmet's Demi Glace Gold, reconstitute 1.5 ounces with 8 ounces of hot water either in the microwave oven or on the stove and follow the recipe.