Steak Au Poivre

Because everyone should learn how to cook a steak in their lifetime

Happy ~almost~ Valentine’s Day!

Whether you love this Hallmark Holiday or not, I think this is the perfect time to cover a pretty serious topic. Steak.

Preparing a steak to perfection is TRULY not as hard as it looks. You can achieve a $100 quality steak dinner for the fraction of the price at home.

Here’s my Resume^ and my go to guide to a perfectly cooked steak

1. Always use a cast iron or a stainless steal pan. I also love steak on the grill but we have negative windchills here.

2. Allow your pan to heat up on high heat for at least 90 seconds. You want a ripping hot pan to get a nice hot sear to really create that crust.

3. Use a high smoke point oil (algae oil or avocado oil)

4. Let your steaks sit out for 30 minutes before cooking. An ice cold steak won’t cook as evenly and the fibers tense up.

5. Simple seasonings- skip the store-bought steakhouse seasoning, I find that those burn. Don’t even think about sprinkling on onion, garlic powder or slap ya mama. Less is more. Salt, pepper and a drizzle of oil work just fine. I season 20 minutes prior to cooking.

6. Baste your steak. Butter, garlic, thyme and rosemary are your steak’s best friends.

7. A 1.5” Bone in Ribeye is my go to cut for steak Also known as a W.R Chicago Cut (iykyk).

8. Do yourself a favor and buy a meat thermometer, they really come in handy when nailing the perfect temperature. My preferred temp is 122-125ºF which is similar to a steak house medium rare.

9. Right before searing, pat the steak dry.

10. If there is a large fat cap on your cut of steak, sear that first for about 2 minutes to get nice and golden brown. Then sear your larger faced sides.

11. For an 1.5 steak, I sear on high for 3-4 minutes. Flip. Continue to sear on high heat for an additional 2 minutes. Then I drop the heat to medium high, add my butter, garlic and herbs. Once the butter is slightly browned and bubbling I baste my steak continuously for 4 minutes. I then flip the steak once more. Cooking for another minute until my temperature reads 122-125ºF. (I start temperature checking after 3 minutes of basting. Total cook time for me is between 10-13 minutes.)

12. If you like a more done steak, follow the steps above however increase your basting time and flip the steak back and forth every couple of minutes to provide an even cook.

13. Once you have pulled your steaks off, allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. You want the juices to remain in the steak and not running all over your cutting board. -This is also the time to make your pan sauce!

Cuts of Steak- not all steaks are made equal

Filet Mignon: Tender, buttery, juicy and lean but melts in your mouth. Most expensive per oz. (I might be the odd one out but this is not my preferred cut).

New York Strip: Lean, beefy, tender. Very popular choice for steak frites, steak au poivre etc.

Ribeye: My favorite cut. Marbled with fat, juicy, tender and melt in your mouth.

T-bone/Porterhouse: A bone cut that includes the strip and filet. Tbone has a smaller piece of filet, porterhouse has a larger portion of filet.

Sirloin: More affordable, leaner, less marbled but still a beefy flavor.

Chuck-eye: More affordable Similar to a Ribeye with lots of marbling

Flank: Budget Friendly, slice against the grain at a 45º angle to get the most tender bite. I like to marinate this cut as it can be pretty tough. Poke holes with a fork and marinate for 4-6 hours.

Skirt: YUM, one of my favorites when it’s done correctly. Marinating this type of steak is EVERYTHING. Slice against the grain (my girl brain has sliced this wrong so many times) After it’s cooked, slice into chunks and then slice against the grain to achieve perfectly sized strips.

I included a more in depth tutorial video on how to butcher/prep a skirt steak.

How to prepare a skirt steak

Bone-In Steak: Speaking from experience, if you are newer to cooking steaks adding a bone into the mix can complicate achieving the perfect sear. But if you’re well rehearsed, theres no better flavor than gnawing on the bone.

Marinades: aren’t just for cheaper cuts, whoever made that rule…it was meant to be broken.

This was quite a lot of information so we are stopping for a beverage break:

Raspberry Lime Mule 🍋‍🟩

Ingredients
2 oz. Vodka
1 oz Raspberry Syrup
.5 oz Lime Juice
5 mint leaves
Pink edible glitter
Splash of Ginger Beer

Raspberry Syrup/Puree
1 Cup Raspberries
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Water

For the raspberry syrup
Combine ingredients in a sauce pan on medium low heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 5 minutes until raspberries have broken down. Blend and Strain

For the cocktail
In a shaker add vodka, lime juice, raspberry syrup, mint leaves and edible glitter. Add ice and shake.
Strain into a Collin’s glass and top with ginger beer.
Garnish with Raspberries and a mint sprig.

Jumping into the Recipe:

Steak Au Poivre

*Note* I used Green Peppercorns in brine, have no fear you can use regular black peppercorns if you can’t find them.

Prep Time: 30 Minutes (let your steaks come to room temp)

Cook Time: 20-25 Minutes

Servings: 2

• 1 16 oz. Ribeye usually serves 2 (for me)

• 2 Filets (2 people)

• 1 22 oz. Bone in Ribeye (2 people)

• 2 New York Strips (2 People)

Sauce makes enough for 2 servings!