Peppercorn Sauce
Mr. C. has this wonderful habit of bringing lovely cuts of meat into our home. Since Covid, he mostly buys our groceries, and believe me, he is much less frugal than I am. So, when he brings home a steak, it’s a good one. And last night, I decided to cook one of his recent purchases.
And because I know how much he loves peppercorn sauce; I decided to try out the recipe I found on recipetineats.com. (One of my favorite cooking sites BTW). Of course, I made a couple small changes because, yes, I know, I never can leave well enough alone! And I used this new recipe, because I wanted to change things up a bit from my other recipe on this site entitled Pepper Steaks with Bourbon Sauce which he also loves.
And since Mr. C. had unfailingly adhered to my last grocery shopping list, I had 4 small Yukon Gold potatoes to put to good use. But then, I had to find a new recipe for these beautiful potatoes too. Which I did. And of course I had to mess with this recipe too. So, thank you and apologies to another one of my favorite cooking sites – spendwithpennies.com.
Now, having confessed my sins, I can proceed with unabashedly telling you why you should give both recipes a try. Both the steak with sauce and the roasted potatoes were absolutely delicious. Not just good. Totally fabulous. As Mr. C. commented, “this sauce is as good, if not better, than I have ever had in a restaurant”. Plus, he liked the potatoes. And that is saying something because Mr. C. is not a potato lover.
Well, I have nothing more to say on the subject. And I have a few chapters left in my book to finish before we go off to Oak Harbor for one of Mr. C’s gigs.
The book I am currently reading, for the second time, (which should tell you something), is by John Sandford – entitled Dead Watch. Great story about dirty politics and greed. Sound familiar? This after just reading Heather Cox Richardson’s latest post. But at least in this book, the good guys win. Oh, that real life mimicked fiction. Especially in the upcoming November election.
Before my current book, I read 4 books by Harlan Coben, including Gone for Good and Tell No One. Any of Mr. Coban’s books are worth reading. In my humble opinion.
I also almost made it through Donna Tartt’s (winner of the Pulitzer Prize) book entitled The Goldfinch. But after 595 pages of poverty, drugs, horrid behavior, characters I came to detest, and lifestyles that I could not in any way relate to, I said, I’m done! There is enough retched behavior documented daily in the news. I don’t need to read the fictional equivalent.
Anyway, that is the beauty of books. If you don’t like what you are reading, you can simply close the pages and walk away.
Unfortunately, that is not the case in the real world.
If you don’t like what is happening in the real world, you often need to take some sort of action. Even if that action is as simple as voting. Which I sincerely encourage everyone to do in the upcoming November election.
And as always, peace and love to all.
STEAK WITH CREAMY PEPPERCORN SAUCE
2 thick (at least 1-inch thick) tenderloin, filet-mignon, or ribeye steaks (about 16- 20 oz. of meat)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 T. veggie oil
¼ c. cognac or brandy
½ c. water
1 tsp. beef base (I use Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)
½ c. half & half
1-2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
Take the steaks out of the fridge 20 minutes before sprinkling both sides generously with salt and black pepper. Set aside for an hour.
Hint: while the steaks are resting, get all the ingredients for the sauce ready.
When ready to cook, heat the oil in a small, heavy skillet over high heat until the oil is very hot. (I use my small cast iron skillet.)
Add the steaks and cook the first side for about 2 minutes until it is dark brown, then flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes, more or less depending on how you like your steaks cooked. (130-degrees internal temp. for medium rare.)
Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and let rest while you make the sauce.
Add cognac into the same skillet and let it simmer rapidly, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the cognac has mostly reduced. Add the water and beef base, bring to a simmer and let it simmer rapidly for 2 to 3 minutes or until it reduces by half.
Turn the heat down to medium. Add the half & half and coarsely ground black pepper. Stir, and let simmer for about 2 minutes or until it thickens. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
Cut the steak into thick, diagonal pieces and spoon the sauce over each serving.
This lovely savory entrée is perfect when served with Oven Roasted Potatoes. (see recipe below)
OVEN ROASTED POTATOES
1 lb. unpeeled yellow or gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. seasoned salt
¼ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Soak the potatoes in cold water for about 30 minutes. (This removes some of the starch and makes for fluffier potatoes.) Drain and dry the potato pieces with paper towels.
Whisk the olive oil, pepper, seasoned salt, paprika, granulated garlic, and Italian seasoning together in a mixing bowl.
Toss the dried potato pieces in the oil mixture.
Transfer to a small, rimmed baking sheet and bake the potato pieces in a pre-heated 425-degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
Serve hot out of the oven.