Pan-Seared Peppercorn Steak (New York Steak au Poivre)

Steak au Poivre is a classic French dish of steak drenched in a creamy pepper sauce. It’s old school, but I think it deserves a comeback. A nice cut of steak is pan-fried (turn on all your vents and open the windows) and its juices, along with cognac, cream and black pepper turn into a pan sauce of your 10 p.m. Parisian dinner dreams. Make sure to use freshly ground pepper, which has a brighter, fresher flavour than the preground stuff. Whether you use a mortar and pestle or a pepper mill, grind or crack the peppercorns as coarsely as possible so they add big pops of flavour and crunch.

2 (1½"-thick) New York strip steaks (~ 1½ lbs total)
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, 2 smashed and 2 thinly sliced
3 sprigs thyme
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 large shallot, finely chopped
⅓ cup Cognac, dry sherry or brandy
½ cup heavy cream
flaky sea salt

Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Season all over with sea salt and a generous amount of ground pepper. Let sit 15–30 minutes.

Coarsely crush peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or place in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a small saucepan (they should be a lot coarser than ground pepper).

Heat oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook steaks, undisturbed, until a deep golden brown crust forms underneath, about 3 minutes. Turn over and cook on second side until golden brown, about 3 minutes. If the steaks have a fat cap, stand them on their sides with tongs and cook until browned, about 3 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add smashed garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and 1 Tbsp. butter to the pan. Cook, basting steak continuously, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each steak registers 120°F, about 2 minutes. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine shallot, sliced garlic, crushed peppercorns and remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in skillet and cook, stirring often, until shallot and garlic are softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and add cognac to the pan. Set over medium heat and cook until cognac is mostly evaporated and spoon leaves streaks in skillet while stirring, 1-2 minutes. Add cream, bring to a simmer and cook until sauce coats spoon, about 1 minute. Season with sea salt.

Slice steaks against the grain and transfer to a platter. Pour any juices from cutting board back into skillet and stir into the sauce. Spoon sauce generously over steak; sprinkle with sea salt.

Makes 4 servings.