Recipe: Strip Steaks Au Poivre

Strip Steaks au Poivre

Serves 4

PRODUCE

1 large shallot

4 garlic cloves

3 thyme sprigs

DAIRY

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup heavy cream

MEAT

2 (1½-inch-thick) New York strip steaks (about 1½ pounds total)

PANTRY

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

2 tablespoons vegetable oil1⁄3 cup cognac, dry sherry, or brandy

Flaky sea salt

①Prep your mise:

✦Pat 2 New York strip steaks dry with paper towels. Season all over with 2½ teaspoons kosher salt and a generous amount of ground black pepper. Set aside for at least 15 minutes.*

✦Finely chop 1 large shallot.

✦Thinly slice 2 garlic cloves. Firmly smash 2 additional garlic cloves to really break them open so that they are able to release a lot of flavor when theyhit the skillet.

✦Place 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns in a sealable plastic bag, seal the bag, place it on your countertop, and crush with the bottom of a small saucepan to coarsely crack them. If you have a mortar and pestle, use that! They should be coarser than ground black pepper.

②Cook the steaks:

✦Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 4 minutes.

✦Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the steaks and cook, undisturbed, until a deep golden brown crust forms underneath, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the second side until equally golden brown, 3 minutes longer. (If the steaks have a fat cap, upend them on their sides, stabilizing them with tongs, and sear the edges, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per edge.)

③Baste:

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add 1 tablespoon butter, 3 thyme sprigs, and the 2 smashed garlic cloves to the pan. Use a spoon to continuously baste the steak, about 2 minutes. If you’ve never basted a steak and want to learn how, right this way! Insert your instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the steak. Once it registers 120°F, transfer it to a cutting board to rest.

④Make the pan sauce:

✦Add 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet along with the sliced garlic, shallot, and crushed peppercorns. Cook, stirring often, until the shallot and garlic are softened but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes.**

✦Turn off the heat (cognac is flammable!) and add 1⁄3 cup cognac. Return the skillet to medium heat and cook until the cognac has mostly evaporated andyour spoon leaves streaks in the skillet when you stir, 1 to 2 minutes.

✦Add ½ cup heavy cream, bring to a simmer, and cook until it coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Season with kosher salt.

⑤Serve:

✦Slice the steak against the grain. Not sure what the grain is or how to find it? Right this way. Transfer to a serving platter.

✦Pour any resting juices back into the skillet and stir them into the sauce. Spoon the sauce generously over the steak, season with flaky sea salt, and serve immediately.***

*This will give the salt a chance to penetrate the meat, so it won’t fall off the steaks when you sear them.

**Cooking the peppercorns helps bloom their flavor and infuses the butter with peppery heat in a way that simply stirring them in at the end does not.*

**The sauce will thicken and congeal as it cools down, and it won’t feel as luxurious on your palate.