Easy Steak Au Poivre

Photo from Bake
it with Love

I've had steak au poivre a handful of times and each time I'm reminded at how luxurious it is. It seems so fancy, when in reality is super easy to make. It's basically steak with a pepper gravy. 

This is an easy version of this dish. I'm sure the actual French version is more complicated. I mean isn't all French cooking complicated? This recipe takes a NY steak and combines it with a creamy, peppery gravy using cognac and Worcestershire sauce. 

If you're looking for a date night recipe, this might be the one. 

Easy Steak Au Poivre

Recipe from Bake It with Love

Serves 2

2 New York strip steaks (8 ounces each)

2 T butter

½ T olive oil (extra virgin)

1 tsp salt (to taste)

¼ c cognac (or brandy)

½ c shallots (finely minced)

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

⅓ c heavy cream

1 T parsley (finely chopped, optional garnish)

¼ tsp ground black pepper (to taste)

Take the NY strips out of the fridge 20-30 minutes before you start cooking and allow them to come to room temperature.

Place the butter and olive oil into a large cast-iron skillet (or a heavy-bottomed skillet) and heat them over medium-high heat.

Use several paper towels to pat dry the strips, then season them with salt on each side. As the butter melts in your skillet, turn the burner up to high. Sear the strips for 1-4 minutes on each side(the cooking time will depend on how thickly sliced your NY strips are). As soon as the steaks are finished, move them to a dish or cutting board and cover them with a loose piece of foil.

After you take the steaks off, deglaze your skillet by pouring in the cognac (or brandy). Use a wooden spoon and scrape to remove the browned crispy bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook for about 2 minutes or until it reduces by half.

Next, sauté the shallots over medium-high heat, then add in the Worcestershire sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream and parsley. Stir mixture together.

Place your strips back into the skillet with the sauce mixture and allow the strips to warm up again. *Alternatively you can cook the sauce for an additional 1-2 minutes and pour it over the steak.

Serve right away after garnishing with more parsley and freshly ground black pepper.