Steak au Poivre

INGREDIENTS

• 2 12 ounces New York strip steaks - trimmed and removed from fridge 1-2 hours before
• 3 tablespoons black peppercorns - coarsely crushed
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup cognac or brandy
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter - cold
• 1 medium shallot - minced
• 1 tablespoon green peppercorns - optional

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a large stainless steel or cast iron pan to medium heat.
2. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and season with kosher salt. Place the crushed peppercorns on a plate and press the steaks into the peppercorns on both sides to form a crust.
3. Add the vegetable oil to the hot pan and once shimmering add the steaks. Cook the steaks, undisturbed, for 4 minutes per side. If the steaks have a large amount of fat on their sides, stand them up with tongs and sear until browned.
4. Cook the steaks until desired doneness (I prefer 120-125f initially which will allow carryover heat to bring steaks to medium-rare of 130-135f) then place the steaks on a cutting board and tent with foil. See notes below for extra thick steaks.
5. Pour off the excess fat from the pan and add the shallot and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cognac. Place the pan back on the heat and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook until the cognac is almost evaporated (~2 minutes).
6. Add the cream to the pan and bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon (~2-3 minutes).
7. Add the green peppercorns (optional) and season the sauce with salt to taste. Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter. Place 1/4 of the sauce at the bottom of two separate plates. Plate the steaks and pour the remaining sauce on top of each steak. Enjoy!