Recipe - Steak Au Poivre (Peppercorns)

1 pound Finely chopped shallots
1 ounce Butter; (One fourth stick)
1 tablespoon Cracked Peppercorns
7 One half ounce DemiGlace*
One fourth cup Finely chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 md Sized Steaks about 1 One half to
2 inches thick
5 md Sized potatoes; (up to 6)
1 Fresh bunch of broccoli

Broil 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 34
minutes per side depending how you like your steaks.

Mash your 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 One fourth stick of butter in a sauce pan and sauté
One fourth cup of shallots (cooking quickly over high heat) until transparent.
Approximately 23 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. Add One half 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. Add DemiGlace and stir (with a whisk if you have
one) and simmer until the sauce has thickened, approximately 56 minutes.
Add One fourth cup of finely chopped parsley, stir, and serve over the steaks.

Posted to EATL Digest by Reluctant Gourmet reluctg@PCFASTNET.COM on Jan
22, 1998